


Life's Little Surprises

by heartsdesire456



Series: Life's Little Surprises [1]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Age Difference, Explicit Sexual Content, Family, Family Drama, Family Fluff, Love Confessions, M/M, Mpreg, Post-Canon Fix-It, Romance, Secret Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-01
Updated: 2016-11-01
Packaged: 2018-08-28 09:09:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 41,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8439790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heartsdesire456/pseuds/heartsdesire456
Summary: Barry has secretly been seeing Leonard Snart, and he plans on keeping it a secret for a while. Unfortunately, life has a different idea in mind for them..... a very different idea.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This started about 2 weeks ago as a writing exercise, not even a real fic, but I thought, "Oh hey, I haven't written an mpreg in a while!" so I made this into an mpreg and RAN WITH IT!
> 
> I'm glad I finished it tonight, because NaNoWriMo starts in 15 minutes and I'm still coming up with a plot and characters for this years NaNoWriMo novel, so I REALLY CANNOT WRITE FIC THIS WEEK!
> 
> (I apologize for the crappy summary, but that's how life goes sometimes)

Len raised an eyebrow as he came out of the bathroom and saw Barry shrugging on his parka. “Looks good on you, Red,” he said, and Barry turned around with a bit of a blush but a smirk on his lips. Len sat down on the edge of the bed to tug on his boots, only to be interrupted before he could tie them by Barry crawling onto his lap. “Barry,” he said, looking up at him. “You’re the one who wanted a ride home before Detective West wakes up,” he reminded him even as he rested his hands on Barry’s thighs up under the parka.

Barry seemed inclined to ignore his words, however. “I’ve missed this thing,” he said, tugging on the sleeves. “You used to wear it every time I saw you. You wear the hell out of most clothes, though,” he said, sliding his arms around Len’s shoulders, looking down at his dark green sweater. “You’re like a model, the way that clothes seem to just look good on you in a way they wouldn’t most people.”

“You should’ve seen me in the old west,” Len said, looking Barry over. He was only wearing his boxers under the parka, and it was really pushing all the right buttons for Len. “I haven’t worn this thing in forever,” he said, reaching up to tug the hood over Barry’s head.

Barry laughed and shrugged the hood back with a shake of his head. “I’ve noticed.” He looked down into Len’s eyes, wiggling his eyebrows. “Now what’s this about the old west?”

Smirking, Len ran his hands up Barry’s legs to his waist. “Black cowboy hat, ankle-length black duster. Six-gun holster on my hip. Blue bandana, navy shirt. Black leather gloves.” He winked. “Ever seen _Tombstone_?” Barry nodded. “It was very Doc Holliday.”

“Oooh,” Barry purred, eyebrows bobbing. “Sounds sexy.” He tightened his knees around Len’s hips. “Did you ride a horse? You’d be sexy on a horse.”

Len hummed. “How about you ask me another time. You need to get home and go to work, and if you want me to drive you, it takes longer than when you run.”

Barry made a face but slid back off Len’s lap. “Yeah, yeah, you’re right.” He wrapped the parka around himself with a wink. “I’m keeping this for the day, though.” 

“Feel free,” Len said, watching Barry grab his clothes from where Len folded them last night (he couldn’t stand clothes on the floor). “Though, I have a feeling it’ll be recognizable.”

“Hmmm. True.” Barry pulled off the parka and tossed it onto the bed beside Len, walking back over to curl his hand around the back of Len’s neck, leaning in to press a kiss to the top of his shortly shorn, coarse hair. “Always so smart,” he murmured against his skin. 

Len tipped his head back and stole a quick kiss to the lips this time. “Obviously.” Barry kissed him again, lingering a little longer this time. And as that kiss broke, he kissed him again, deeper this time. Len moaned softly as he pulled away. “Barry,” he whispered between kisses. “Work.”

Barry whined. “Maybe Captain Singh would understand. He’s gay. He knows how tempting a hot guy in bed can be. Probably.”

Laughing against his lips, Len pulled back. “I’m pretty sure your boss won’t give you a free pass because you were getting laid.” Barry whimpered and pouted, and Len rolled his eyes. “How about this,” he said, rubbing his hands over Barry’s chest. “If you let me drive you home so you can get dressed and get to work on time, you can convince Joe you’re doing Flash stuff all night tonight and instead, we can go out.” He smirked. “I’ll even wear the pants you like.”

Barry’s eyes dilated a little bit. “The really tight biker jeans?”

“Yep, those ones,” he agreed. “We can get some dinner, a drink, have an actual date for once. Who knows, I might even tell you about the old west like you wanted.”

Barry sighed. “You’re so lucky I want to go on a proper date for once and am aware I’ll get laid tonight. It’s worth missing out on a quickie and being late to work to know I get the better deal if I wait.”

“See? Learning already, Red,” Len said with a smirk. “Now get dressed so we can get you home with enough time for you to take a shower at regular speed.”

“I should totally ask Cisco to make me normal clothes that won’t catch on fire if I run in them,” Barry complained as he went to get dressed. “I could stay here for another hour, doing unspeakable things to that parka if only I didn’t have that whole ‘your clothes will burst into flame when you get to work’ problem.”

“Captain Singh might enjoy it,” Len joked, tying his boots finally. “I mean, married men can still window shop,” he teased.

~

Barry really thought that he had made it inside without Joe or Wally hearing him. However, after showering, he got back downstairs and was on his way out the door when Wally came around the bottom of the stairs. “Hey, Barry, who was dropping you off on a Ducati this morning?” he asked, starting up the stairs. “That was a nice 821, man. I didn’t take Cisco or Caitlin as the motorcycle types.”

Barry flushed. “I- uh, it wasn’t-“ He floundered some and Wally raised an eyebrow with a look of growing realization.

“Ah, you got yourself a girl, huh?”

Barry ducked his head, rubbing at the back of his hair. “Um, guy actually, but yeah.” He grinned up at him. “Hey, any chance we can keep this between us? Joe-“

“Doesn’t know you like guys?” Wally asked in confusion, and Barry shook his head.

“No, no, he knows that, he’s fine with it,” he said quickly. “Just maybe not this guy?” He shrugged. “There’s… circumstances.”

Wally hummed. “Yeah, okay.” He shook his head. “Of course there are, you’re dating a guy with a motorcycle, of course the cop dad won’t approve,” he said and Barry grinned in relief.

“Thanks, man, really,” he said quickly. “I gotta go, though, so-“

Wally waved a hand at the door. “Go ahead, it’s cool. I’ve got class soon anyways.”

“Bye!” Barry shouted, slamming the door shut behind him.

~

Barry watched the clock all day, and instead of staying a little late to finish things up, he put everything on hold and snatched his bag to run the minute the clock hit six. He practically ran down the stairs and to the door, dodging people on his way out. He hoped to beat Joe out of the building, but of course, just as he started towards the street, Joe shouted his name. 

“Barry!” Barry turned around and Joe put a hand on his shoulder. “I’ll give you a ride to STAR Labs on the way home,” he said, turning to lead Barry towards the parking garage.

“Uhhhh.” Barry stopped, making Joe stop and glance at him. Barry looked over towards where a motorcycle and a rider with a full-face helmet stood waiting. “I, I need to go to- to do things.”

Joe glanced past him and spotted the guy on the bike, and then rolled his eyes. “Is that the same person that dropped your skinny ass off before dawn?”

Barry flushed. “Wally said he wouldn’t tell you!”

Joe gave him a flat look. “I can hear a motorcycle in my driveway, Barry.” Barry flushed and Joe shook his head. “Alright, but you better not keep sneaking around. I expect to meet him. Family dinner. Sunday,” he said, and Barry gave a panicked little laugh before nodding and jogging away, towards Len. “AND YOU BETTER WEAR A HELMET!” Joe shouted after him.

Barry climbed into the back of the motorcycle. “You know I don’t need it!” he shouted at Joe, cringing. “SORRY!” he cried, before sliding his arms around Len and nudging him so he would leave. He watched the angry look on Joe’s face as Len revved the engine and they took off.

~

Len had expected it, but he was still amused when, the moment they got off his bike at the restaurant, Barry started panicking about Joe. “Oh my God, he’s going to know. And even if he doesn’t know already, he’ll know when I make up a reason to not bring you to family dinner!” Barry groaned like a dying animal, walking back and forth past the bike a few times. “What do I do? What _am_ I doing?! Joe’s going to kill me and kill you and it won’t matter who I’m dating, cause we’ll be dead!”

Len chuckled as he dismounted the bike. “First off, stop worrying so much. You’re giving yourself wrinkles, Kid.” He did a little twirl. “Second, you haven’t even commented on the outfit.”

Barry turned and looked at him, only to shut his mouth and look him over again. Len knew he looked good in a navy turtleneck, a black leather jacket, and the faded black biker jeans Barry liked so much. “I… really need to stop being a moron.” Len smirked, taking in the slight dilation of Barry’s pupils as he looked him over. “At least if I die, I died for all of this,” he said, gesturing to Len.

“Being objectified is a lot less crappy when it’s you doing it, Red,” Len said, stepping forward to grab Barry’s lapels, pulling him into his space. Barry’s eyes widened as he leaned in and Len pecked his lips. “Now. Are you done panicking? I’m starving, so I know you must be half-dead.”

Barry relaxed some, leaning in to bump his forehead to Len’s. “Sorry, sorry. I’m not being a good date right now.” He smiled, touching Len’s cheek. “Hi, Len, how was your day?”

“Peachy,” Len said with a small grin. He slid his arm around Barry’s middle, turning them towards the restaurant. “Now, I do believe you wanted an actual date.”

Barry gave him a shy little smile, leaning into his side a little. “Nice to know you know what an actual date is. Can’t imagine you’re much of a ‘real date’ type.”

Len hummed and tilted his head. “I’m not the man I once was,” he said cryptically. “Now. I really hope you’re not a vegan, because I plan to eat a hunk of cow the size of your head.”

“Oh no, I love burgers too much to be vegan,” Barry replied.

“Good,” Len said simply. “Our night will be just fine, then.”

~

Len had to admit, he had never done the ‘dating’ thing, but it was… nice. He and Barry didn’t really have much of a ‘relationship’ as such. He had found himself alive and well back in 2016 after a particularly dramatic death, and it really messed him up for a few weeks. He called Lisa to tell her he was home, that they might never see Mick again, and to leave him alone, and he spent quite a while drinking and lying in his bed not wanting to do anything. When Lisa got tired of waiting, she came over and dragged him out of bed and pretty much forced him to go knock over a jewelry store to get her something shiny. 

Much to his surprise, when The Flash showed up, instead of bust them and put up a fight, Barry had whisked them both away and then demanded to know why Lisa would dishonor her brother’s memory by pulling a heist with somebody else in his Cold gear (minus the gun, which was lost to time). When he took off his hat and goggles, Barry had practically cried and dragged him into a hug, going on about how he heard he had died a hero and how glad he was that he was alive.

Len had been, naturally, quite confused. However, the kid kept following him around and pestering him for a while after that and, eventually, Len made some smartass remark at Saints and Sinners that if Barry was going to ride his ass all the time, he should at least actually give in and fuck him.

Startlingly and quite pleasantly, Len ended up getting his wish, and thus began their very odd pattern of sleeping together and not really talking about what they were to each other, even though it was pretty obvious to Len that they were both fully aware of their feelings being something far more than either had expected going in. This was the first time they had gone on a date together, and Len found it really fun to spend time with Barry _with_ clothes on. He knew he was an interesting kid simply from conversations they had after sex, but it felt very different to go on a date. 

When they started home, Len stopped at an intersection and turned around to look at Barry. “My place, or home?” he called over his shoulder, and Barry just tightened his arms around his middle and grinned at him as he slid a hand up Len’s shirt, effectively answering his question quite well.

When they got to his place, Barry wasted no time sliding his arms around Len’s shoulders and kissing him slowly. Len caught his hips, grinning into the kiss as he pulled Barry’s body firmly to his. “I take it I’m not bad at dating?” Len teased and Barry hummed against his skin.

“I think I promised you unspeakable acts while wearing the parka, didn’t I?” he murmured, and Len was glad he wasn’t quite old enough to have trouble getting it up, because the thought of _not_ making good on Barry’s promise was absolutely depressing.

“I think you did, Red,” Len said, backing Barry towards his bedroom. “I’ve always wanted to defile that thing. How fitting it be with you in it.” Barry giggled – there was no other word for it, the kid giggled – and turned away, rushing to grab the parka and then disappear into the bathroom.

“One minute!” Barry called, and Len shrugged off his jacket.

“Dramatic effect. I like it!” he called after him, smirking as he, too, planned a nice surprise for when Barry came out.

Needless to say, when Barry walked out of the bathroom in the parka and nothing else, he was equally as rewarded by the sight of Len already naked and waiting for him on the bed. It only took seconds for Barry to crawl into Len’s lap, and only a few minutes of prep to start riding him with lustful abandon, still wearing the parka.

Len moaned as he pushed the parka off of one of Barry’s shoulders and leaned in to bite at his pale, freckled skin right above his clavicle. “Fuck, Barry, you look so good right now.”

Barry grinned even as he let his eyes flutter shut. “You’re sexy when you go all cave man,” he said, and Len wasn’t surprised Barry could sense his possessiveness. There was something absolutely perfect about Barry in his parka. It set off some deep, dark side of him that wanted Barry to be his and only his. He wanted everybody to see Barry wearing his parka and know Barry Allen was _his_. It was frustrating that none of the bruises he sucked into Barry’s skin would last until morning, because that would make it even more perfect: a hickey peeking over the fur-lining of the hood. “Mmmm, making sure everybody knows I’m yours?” he purred, looking down at Len through hooded eyes. “Wish I could keep your bruises on me, so when I walked out of here in the morning, everybody I pass on my way down the stairs knows who gave them to me.”

Len moaned hoarsely as the thought, and he suddenly had an idea. He grabbed Barry without warning and flipped them over, startling a yelp and then laughter out of Barry as he lay flat on his back, spread out beneath Len. “Sorry if I startled you, Scarlet,” he purred and Barry smiled up at him, only to gasp and let out a soft ‘ooohh’ of pleasure as Len wasted no time entering his body once more.

“You- oh! You’re forgiven,” Barry moaned, licking his lips almost obscenely as Len slowly fucked him, teasing maddening pleasure out of him without pushing him towards orgasm. Just a slow, easy movement that felt good enough to drive Barry crazy but not enough to make even his obscenely over-sensitive body get closer to the edge. “Mmm, Len,” he breathed when Len pushed his legs up and shifted enough to lay atop him, putting their bodies fully in contact. Len caught Barry’s hand, lacing their fingers together above Barry’s head, using his other elbow as the only prop to keep his full weight from resting on Barry.

Barry shivered as Len kissed him slowly, and torturously lightly. He sucked ever-so-briefly on Barry’s bottom lip before trailing kisses across his jaw. “You’re so beautiful, Barry,” he whispered. “And so responsive to my touch,” he breathed, rolling his hips a tiny bit harder in time with his words. Barry’s breath hitched on the exhale and he whined slightly as Len’s slow drag out of him hit every single nerve ending _just right_. “And you’re so hot in my parka,” he added. He sucked gently at his pulse point. “Every inch of it is touching your bare skin, right now. I’ll never look at it again without picturing your naked body inside of it. Your long, thin torso, the curve of your ass, the muscles of your arms, all right there, inside of my parka.”

As he spoke, Len increased the force and tempo of his thrusts, as well as the pressure of his bites and sucks along Barry’s long, pale neck. Barry’s hitched breaths and tiny moans grew in volume and his legs tightened around Len’s body until, as the headboard started to bang on the wall, Barry’s sweaty thighs kept slipping off of his hips until he finally reached back and hitched Barry’s legs up to his waist, where he could hook his ankles together behind Len’s back. The new angle must have been just right, because as soon as Barry’s hold around his middle became secure, Barry’s body jerked in his hold, back arching clean off the bed, and his cries increased in volume. “Len, Len, Len, AH!” he cried out, nails digging slightly into the back of Len’s neck as he clung to his neck and upper arm. 

Len wouldn’t lift so he could take himself in hand, rather he shifted their bodies lower so that Barry’s cock was trapped between their stomachs and his thighs and legs controlled the thrusts, not his whole body, making it so that Barry could only cling to him and let Len give him pleasure as he made love to him. “This parka, is going to be ruined for public use ever again, because when I come inside of you, my come is going to drip out of you and stain the parka beneath you,” Len growled against his earlobe, and Barry gave an embarrassingly desperate cry.

“Oh God, yes! Please, please do that. Oh God, Len, I need you to fill me up,” he whined and Len was absolutely sure that later, when he wasn’t so close to orgasm, Barry would flush bright red at his own words. But for now, “Come in me, come in me, fuck, fuck, Len, I want you to come deep inside of me,” he begged loudly, vocally, and without any shame. “Len, please, I’m so close!”

Barry came before Len could make good on his promise, but he followed right behind him, making Barry moan and whimper as he thrusted hard and sharply into him so soon after his own orgasm left him overly sensitive. Len kissed Barry as he settled atop him, both of them panting and sweating as they traded lazy, affectionate kisses. Barry petted his hair clumsily as Len stroked his face, memorizing every single angle of slope to Barry’s beautiful cheekbones. Len used to never get overly affectionate after sex, but something about Barry made him downright sappy. 

When they finally started to disentangle so that they could clean up, Len sat back on his knees, looking down at Barry, debauched and beautiful stretched out beneath him, and chuckled almost embarrassedly as he saw the smears of come on the inside of the parka beneath Barry. “We’re dirty bastards, Red,” he said with a playfully self-deprecating shake of his head.

Barry wiggled and grimaced. “I don’t know why I find it so hot, because I hate when you come in me after the fact,” he admitted, sitting up. Len helped him get his arms out of the parka and tossed it aside while Barry stood up and flashed to the bathroom to clean up. “Seriously,” he said, coming back out with a cloth for Len. “We’re kinky fucks.”

Len laughed, nodding as he wiped Barry’s cum off his stomach. “I can’t say I’ve ever had a possessive kink before this, so it’s new to me.”

Barry flashed the cloth to the bathroom and was back before Len could even pull the covers back completely. “Well, you know I’ve never had anybody else come in me before, so it’s new to me, too,” he said, crawling into the bed beside Len. Len settled on the pillows and opened his arms, smiling when Barry flopped halfway onto his chest, snuggling into his side.

Len knew that Barry was telling the truth. They both had never been ones for sex without condoms, and most of the time they still used condoms, but after super-high-tech future medicine proving Len had absolutely no STDs and Barry’s post-lightening body being unable to contract anything even if he hadn’t had a clean bill of health from the various blood tests ran on him all the time, they weren’t bothered if they didn’t use a condom. Barry had never _not_ used condoms before Len, and Len didn’t have much of a history of doing so, either, though there had been a few times in his youth he had made some dumb decisions. So they were more comfortable using them, but tonight, Barry hadn’t grabbed one before climbing on Len’s dick, and it had happened that way before (regardless of who topped) a few times.

Len was putting a lot of trust into Barry by even letting it happen once, and he knew that Barry had to trust him a lot to risk their science about his immunity to disease being incomplete. Len trusted Barry with a lot, these days, though, so he wasn’t exactly surprised it happened that way. 

“Mmmm, I’m staying here tonight,” Barry informed Len, catching his attention again. Len looked at him and smiled when he saw Barry making himself comfortable in the crook of Len’s arm. “Right here.” He patted Len’s chest. “Warm and comfortable.”

Len kissed his forehead, eyes falling shut easily. “I’ve really enjoyed tonight, Barry.” He hugged him into his side. “I wouldn’t want you to go anyways.” He trailed a fingertip along his cheekbone “My arms are right where you belong, especially after making love to you. It would be rude to kick you out.”

“I love that about you,” Barry said with a playful grin. “You and your weird ‘politeness’ thing. You don’t mind stealing a diamond necklace from an old lady, but god forbid someone be rude to her,” he joked. 

Pressing a kiss to Barry’s forehead, Len hummed. “I like manners. Probably a side-effect of being a cop’s kid. He was a bastard, but he didn’t actually become such a bastard until after he went to prison. He was just very strict when I was really small. The manners stuck.”

“Well, my cop dad is going to kill us both when he works out why ‘man on a motorcycle’ is so familiar to him,” Barry said, sliding his hand across Len’s torso, fingers tracing the scars his ‘cop dad’ had left on him. Len caught his hand and pulled it to his lips, kissing his palm. Barry hummed and then flattened his palm over Len’s face, grinning when he tried to bite Barry’s thumb. 

“You’re a menace, Scarlet,” Len said, swatting him on the hip in retaliation. He turned and looked down at him, only to have Barry poke him in the bottom lip with a playful smile. Len caught his finger and sucked it into his mouth, making Barry shiver and pull his hand away.

Barry chuckled, curling his hand around Len’s face. “And you’re dirty,” he murmured, looking up into Len’s incredibly blue eyes. “And very handsome,” he added “Has anybody ever told you how ridiculously pretty your eyes are?”

Len smiled sadly. “My mother, actually.” 

Barry shifted, fingers trailing along the corner of Len’s eye, tracing the faint lines there. “Your mother?”

“Mmhmm,” Len said, smiling sadly. “She died when I was five. Two years into my father’s first prison sentence.” He exhaled through his nose. “My grandfather took care of me after she died, until my father got out of prison and took me away from him. But my mom, I can still remember her going on and on about how pretty my eyes were,” he said with a little grin. “Her parents had abandoned her when she married a white guy. Or so she says, I figure they probably just knew he was a bad man and couldn’t stand to see her do that to herself,” he added. “She always said I had magical eyes. My father was white, as you know, but he came from a family of brown-eyed people.”

Barry hummed. “Funny how genetics can work against the grain. With a brown-eyed dad and a black mother, you should’ve had brown eyes going by the numbers. But shit happens.”

Len grinned. “Lisa, too. Her mother had green eyes, a lot like yours, but she has blue eyes as well. Everybody always says the only way we look alike is our blue eyes, but that was just coincidence.”

“You talking science is really hot,” Barry teased and Len rolled his eyes at him.

“We already established you’re a freak, Scarlet,” he said and Barry blushed and pressed his face into Len’s neck.

“Shut it, you,” he mumbled, yawning right afterwards. “Hmmm, you wore me out,” he whispered, fingertips gently sliding back and forth over a one of Len’s scars as he sleepily relaxed in Len’s arms.

There was something about the way Barry felt in his arms, so trusting and relaxed, that made Len’s heart skip a beat. Barry knew what he was capable of and what all he had done, and yet he still felt safe in his arms. Barry trusting him was the best proof ever that he could be different. He could be the man he had become when he died saving his friends. He could be better. 

Barry trusting him meant that it wasn’t all in Len’s head. He really was a good man.

~

When Barry snuck in the next morning, he was later than he had hoped to be. Len hadn’t put up his usual ‘you have work and if you get fired it’ll be my fault’ fight since Barry didn’t have work that day, so they ended up spending another few hours in bed together before Len drove him home.

He crept through the door and winced when it clicked, but he then tried to also tiptoe to the stairs, only to get one foot on the bottom step before a throat was cleared behind him. “You know,” Joe said. “Tiptoeing or not, it doesn’t stop us from hearing a loud ass motorcycle in the driveway.” Barry turned slowly, wincing when he saw Iris, Joe, and Wally all sitting in front of the TV. “It’s nearly eleven.”

Wally smirked. “Not exactly the pre-dawn walk of shame, Barr.”

“I feel left out,” Iris said pointedly. “I come to pick you up for a surprise shopping day and turns out, you skipped Flash duties to sneak around with a motorcycle riding mystery man.”

Joe crossed his arms. “And you told me you were spending all night doing Flash duties.”

Wally shrugged. “I’ve been covering for him,” he admitted and they both gave him flat looks. “What? I know how protective you two can be, and you’ve only known me a few months.”

Joe pointed at Barry. “Tomorrow he is coming to family dinner. If you’re dating a mystery man you don’t want to tell us about, we’re meeting him.”

Barry panicked slightly. “But Joe, I-“

“No buts,” Joe said firmly. “Dinner. Tomorrow-“

“He’s not-“

“Barry,” Joe warned, and Barry deflated, shoulders slumping.

Iris chuckled. “Hey, I already went through this with Eddie. Your turn.”

“Eurgh,” Barry groaned, turning to stomp up the stairs. “That’s so unfair, Iris! You don’t even know how bad this is gonna be! Joe’s gonna kill me!” he grumbled as he stalked up the stairs. 

After slamming his bedroom door and throwing himself on his bed, he could still hear the laughter downstairs. He pulled out his phone and rolled onto his front to whine into his pillow. 

He wiggled around some, but for some reason, it felt really weird as he lay on his belly. Almost like something was wrong with his bed beneath him causing it to feel a little lumpy or something. 

~

When Barry told him to come pick him up at six Sunday night, he was a little surprised. They had spent four nights together that week already. They had never spent any more time than that together in one week. He wasn’t bothered in the least, he loved having Barry all to himself – and having crazy amounts of sex – but Barry did have responsibilities and Len didn’t want to distract him from them. 

He pulled up in front of the house and he saw someone moving upstairs just before there was a flash of lightning and Barry flashed to meet him. “Hey!” Barry said quickly, reaching up to stop Len from removing his helmet. “Wait, hold on.” 

“Barry?” Len asked carefully.

Barry made a panicked sound. “Okay, so, I’m super sorry but Joe demanded I bring my mystery motorcycle dude to family dinner and he doesn’t know you’re Leonard Snart and I thought if I told you you might just not show up and I couldn’t risk that because Joe would get way nosier and I don’t need him stalking my sex life, so this is family dinner, tada!” 

Len stared at him for quite a while in silence, letting what Barry said finally filter in. “Sooo….” Len tilted his head, helmet and all. “You’re punishing your dad’s nosiness by springing me on him.”

Barry winced, blushing. “Um, yeah, pretty much.” He nodded to the helmet. “You can take that off now. I wanted it on there in case Joe looked outside and came out guns blazing before I could explain to you.”

“Am I the one you should’ve told first then?” Len asked, but he did pull off his helmet. He reached out and shut off the bike, climbing off of it and setting his helmet down. 

Barry gave him a wide-eyed look and pouted just a little “Are you mad at me?” he asked and Len chuckled, rolling his eyes.

“No, of course not. This is gonna be hilarious, Scarlet,” he said, reaching out to pull Barry into his side and peck his lips. “As long as you jump in front of whatever bullets come flying my way.”

“Deal,” Barry said, hugging Len suddenly, a hard, fast hug before he pulled back. “You’re the best, thank you.”

Len just shook his head with a smile. “Lead the way, Barry.”

~

It was bad.

It really was about as bad as Barry could’ve expected.

When Barry walked in holding Len’s hand – and somewhat strategically standing in front of Len so that Joe couldn’t actually shoot him – and said, “Hey, everybody, this is Len,” Joe had taken one look at him and, as Barry had predicted, pulled a gun on him. 

Wally had freaked out at Joe pulling a gun on Barry’s boyfriend, since he didn’t know who Leonard Snart was, and Iris had started shouting at her dad for pulling a _gun_ in the house and at Barry for hiding that he was secretly dating Captain Cold. Barry had jumped in, trying to calm them all down, all the while Len just stood in the doorway with that devious little smirk that only made things even worse for him, since it made him look very villainous and made Joe even twitchier. 

It ended up being Wally who intervened. “Dad, put down the gun! Iris, stop yelling! Barry’s boyfriend, stop making that face like you’re about to go knock over an ATM!”

Joe huffed, handing Wally the gun. “Oh, no, he’ll probably wait until after dessert for that.”

Wally gave him a confused look and Barry sighed, turning to Len. “Wally’s new. He’s from Keystone City and didn’t get here until after you… you know.”

“I swear to God, Bartholomew, we’re having a very serious discussion you will not like,” Joe said, catching Barry’s attention again. 

Barry turned back and huffed. “Joe, come on. My full name? Really? I’m twenty-six years old.”

Len made a sound behind him. “Shit, are you really? Wow, I’m a cradle robber-“

Barry panicked and turned around, glaring. “Not. Helping.”

Wally walked around the couch and held up his hands. “Dad, Iris, you are the ones that said Barry had to bring his boyfriend to dinner and didn’t give him time to sit you down and talk about it.” He turned to Barry. “Barry, you should’ve really told them sooner about this.” He glanced behind Barry. “Leonard, you really gotta stop looking so amused instead of afraid at having a gun pulled on you, man, come on,” he said, a bit desperately.

Barry tensed some when Len moved behind him, putting a hand on Barry’s lower back as he stepped around him. “Alright, look. You don’t like me, Detective, and you have a good reason for that,” he said plainly and Barry looked at him. “However, things have changed. Quite a bit.”

“Yeah, like seducing Barry,” Iris said with a disbelieving look at Barry. 

“More like me taking Barry’s advice and embracing my inner ‘hero’,” Len said, looking at Iris. “I’m not saying I’m one of the good guys, but I’m a bit beyond the deal Barry and I made to not hurt people.”

Wally looked at Len suspiciously. “Aw man, you’re a meta, aren’t you?” he asked.

Barry groaned. “No,” he stressed. “Also, I’m a meta human, and I’m not bad. Same with Cisco.”

“He’s a thief and a murderer,” Joe said simply. “Ever hear of Captain Cold, the one who steals things and kills people who get in his way on the news a while back?” he asked Wally.

Barry felt anger rising. “And people can change, Joe, you’re the one who is more in favor of rehabilitation being the goal with criminals, not punishment, and we made a deal a long time ago that he wouldn’t hurt people anymore, and he’s more than held up that side of the deal. He’s saved more people than he ever hurt-“

“He murdered his own father!” Joe argued.

“Who was a very bad person!” Barry all but shouted.

Wally held his arms out again. “OKAY! STOP!” He looked at both of them. “Dad, you and Iris go calm down down here.” He looked at Barry. “Barry, you and Leonard go calm down upstairs. Everybody take a chill pill for a minute and I’ll set the table.” He huffed as he stormed to the dining room. “I’m the teenager in this house and I’m the only one acting like I got any sense, what the hell.”

Barry glared at Joe and turned around, grabbing Len’s wrist. “Come with me,” he said, struggling to stop himself from flashing up the stairs without Len instead of keeping pace with him.

~

Len had expected fireworks, and fireworks is what he had got, that was for sure. He let Barry lead them to his room, and he then watched Barry start pacing, muttering angrily to himself. “So, does Detective West often treat you like a teenager?” he asked, and Barry groaned audibly. Len raised an eyebrow. “Do you often behave like one?” he added and Barry turned to glare at him. “Honestly, Red, you sort of strayed into ‘rebelling teenager fighting with his dad’ down there,” he said honestly. Barry was acting a bit off. He expected him to defend him, but Barry had gotten pretty angry. 

“I just can’t stand him treating me like Wally. Wally’s nineteen, I’m an actual adult!” Barry complained.

Len raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, about that,” he drawled and Barry resumed his pacing. “I probably should’ve asked myself, but did you ever think that maybe it would be good to tell me I was sleeping with a twenty-six year old?” 

“What? Why should that matter?” Barry asked, turning to face him, only to sway some.

Instantly, Len’s chest clenched and he moved forward, only to have Barry regain his balance before he got there. “Easy there, Barry,” Len said carefully, putting a hand on his waist. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine.” Barry let Len back him to the bed and sit him down on it. Barry took a breath and rolled his eyes. “I probably need to eat, is all. I burn more calories when I get worked up.”

Len hummed. “You have any of those protein bars you keep in your bag for after sex?” he asked, and Barry shook his head.

“I’ll be fine,” he said, leaning his head on Len’s shoulder. “Anyways, what does it matter that I’m twenty-six?”

Len chuckled. “Because I’m eighteen years older than you,” he said, and Barry snatched his head up, looking at him in shock. “And that’s going by math and our birth years, realistically, I’ve lived at least an extra year or two while time traveling, so I’m closer to twenty years older than you in time spent living.”

“Whoa,” Barry said, looking at his face up close. “You weren’t kidding when you said you’re a cradle robber,” he said and Len gave him a deeply unimpressed look. Barry reached up, turning Len’s face towards the light. “Damn. You’ve aged well. I seriously thought you were prematurely graying in your thirties. I figured you were ten years older than me at most, not-“ Barry made a horrified face suddenly. “Oh God, you’re only a few years younger than _Joe_. He was born in sixty-nine.”

Len grimaced, suddenly feeling very, very old. “I was born in seventy-two.”

Barry groaned. “Joe probably knows that, too, since he saw your files before I destroyed them. He knows how old you are. Oh man, no wonder he’s so angry, even on top of the criminal thing.”

“In my defense,” Len said slowly. “I thought you just looked really young. I thought you were in your early thirties. I call you ‘kid’ because you look young, not because I thought you were.”

Barry looked up at him suddenly with wide eyes. “You don’t- don’t want to stop seeing each other because of it, do you? I mean, my age, it’s not- You’re not-“

“Barry,” Len interrupted, stomach twisting painfully at that thought. “It would take a lot more than an age difference to make me not want you,” he said firmly. He leaned in, kissing Barry sweetly. “I may not have pursued you if I had known, but I would never end the best thing in my life right now because of something like that.” He shook his head, shifting to kiss Barry’s hairline. “You know how hard things have been for me since I came back, Barry. Having you has made me feel alive again. Your age is just a number since you’re legal and old enough that you are, as you said, ‘an actual adult’.”

Barry sighed in relief, laying his head on Len’s shoulder again. “Good. I- You-“ He sighed and slid his arm around Len’s middle. “You’re the best thing to happen to me in a very long time, Len. I just got scared I might lose you-“

“You’re not gonna lose me,” Len comforted, curling his hand over Barry’s forearm. “Not over this, and not over whatever your father throws at me.” Barry shifted to rest his chin on Len’s shoulder, looking at him, and Len smiled. “This… whatever it is we have,” he said, because they had never talked about what exactly they were to each other. They had been having sex for months now, but had only gone on one regular date, yet they both had very real feelings for each other, Len was pretty sure. “It’s good. It’s really good,” Len decided upon. “Me and you, Red. We’re good together.”

Barry smiled, nodding. “Yeah, we are. So let’s just…” Barry sighed, wincing some. “Let’s deal with Joe’s crap, and hopefully that will be soon, because I really am lightheaded. God, I hate my metabolism,” he said, and Len stood up, holding out his hand. He worried about Barry’s metabolism, too. He’d seen him faint before simply because he needed calories.

“Alright, up you go,” he said, tugging Barry to his feet. Barry rolled his eyes, but leaned gratefully into Len’s hold. “C’mon. We can strike a temporary ceasefire while we get some food into you.” Len held Barry so he didn’t way anymore as they started out of his bedroom, careful to make sure Barry didn’t slip and fall on his way down the stairs. Len figured it must’ve been the stress on top of the fact it was mealtime that messed with Barry’s body. He would have to be careful to keep some of Barry’s speedster protein bars with him for future reference, just in case. 

~

Dinner was odd, that was for sure. When Len led Barry downstairs, Iris took one look at his pale face and started fussing over him for letting himself go so long without food. Joe seemed suitably guilty, as did Len, and Wally just seemed fascinated, as he usually was, with Barry’s speedster issues. Barry was grateful for the lack of arguments breaking out while he ate a couple of rolls and Len helped Wally set the table so Barry didn’t have to wait any longer to eat. 

Barry liked that Len was scoring brownie points with Joe by taking care of him. He wasn’t surprised at Len’s behavior, because Len did that, he took care of people he cared about, but it was nice all the same. He also liked that Len turned down wine or beer since he was driving. Again, it was normal for Len to be a safe driver who didn’t drink and drive, but it also looked good to the cop father at the table, which was always nice. Barry really needed Len to score as many brownie points as he could, because nothing was going to offset the whole Captain Cold thing, but it didn’t hurt to try.

It was quiet for a while, and then Wally started talking about a project he was doing, to which Len at least tried to ask questions, much to Barry’s surprise. He realized Len was really trying, for his sake, and it gave him all sorts of warm, fuzzy feelings. “So, how did you and Barry meet?” Wally asked.

Len hesitated. “Do you mean actually meet, or…”

Iris spoke up. “I think he means when did this happen,” she said, gesturing between the two of them. “We all know you met when he tried to arrest you,” she said, though when Barry glared, she seemed to be genuinely apologetic. “I just meant-“

“No, it’s alright,” Len said. “It’s true, after all.” He turned to look at Barry, who sat up a little straighter in his seat. 

“It’s actually really sort of funny,” Barry said with a small grin. “Len was with his sister, and I thought he was somebody else taking up the Captain Cold persona, and I went to bust them, and it turned out to actually be him.”

Iris frowned. “Why did you think it wasn’t him?”

Barry froze, glancing at Len. He wasn’t sure how much of that Len wanted to talk about- “Because he heard about my death,” Len said, not waiting for Barry to try and explain. 

Iris and Joe both looked confused, and Wally looked startled. “Whoa, you were presumed dead?”

“No, I actually was dead, no presuming about it,” Len said with a nonchalant little shrug. “None of you can do much harm knowing that I was recruited to travel through time and save the future, I took Barry’s ‘there’s good in you’ speech too much to heart, and ended up sacrificing myself to save my friends’ lives rather than watch my buddy Mick die to save our friend Ray, who was initially the one supposed to sacrifice himself.” He gestured absently. “I died, but it didn’t stick. Ended up back here, right where I’d left from to start time traveling.”

Iris stared at him with wide eyes. “Wait… _you_ ended up being the hero?”

Barry narrowed his eyes at her. “That’s sort of what I said, you know, about rehabilitation, people changing.” He rested his hand on Len’s, smiling up at him as he saw uncertainty in Len’s eyes. “I knew he had it in him to be a good person. He just needed to learn how.” 

“So you thought he was somebody else, and then what?” Wally asked, raising an eyebrow. “How did that end up in you guys getting together?”

Barry looked at Len, who was smirking, and blushed some. “Um, he’s really cute and when he got fed up with me harping on about how I was right about him, he told me to beat it, and instead I kissed him,” Barry said, and Len’s devious look grew more obvious.

Wally grimaced, looking at Barry’s blush and Len’s smirk. “Ew, I can take a hint, it wasn’t that G-Rated, huh?”

Iris snorted. “Wally, ew, come on.”

Barry blushed, and shook his head, embarrassed beyond words. “Not so much,” he mumbled.

“And how long as this been going on, then?” Joe hadn’t spoken at all so far, so Barry was surprised when he spoke up. Joe kept a straight face the whole time. “When, exactly, did this all begin?”

Barry thought back. “A few months? About three.”

“Three months, one week, and two days,” Len offered, and Barry raised an eyebrow at him. Len smiled and shrugged. “I have an excellent memory and internal clock. How do you think I timed my heists so perfectly all those times? I never carry a watch, and I always know the time and date.”

Iris chuckled. “Now that would be useful. I’m always cutting it close to deadlines.”

“So Barry, you’ve been sneaking around with a criminal that’s nearly my age for three months,” Joe said coolly, and Barry exhaled through his nose.

“Yes,” he said simply. 

Len cleared his throat. “Tell me, how long has this been a thing?” he asked, gesturing between Barry and the others with his fork. “I know the circumstances, Barry’s dad going to prison at some point, pretty sure I even ran into him in the joint a few times, but when did you get a bonus skinny white kid at the dinner table, Detective West?” he asked politely. 

Joe didn’t say anything, so Iris piped up. “Well, Barry and I were eleven,” she said, and Barry nodded. “We were friends in school and our dads had been friends for ages, so Barry always knew Dad and me. Then he came to live with us initially just while his dad was on trial, but when he lost, Dad took him in permanently.”

Barry nodded, smiling. “Joe and Iris have been my family longer than my parents were ever my family, really. I couldn’t imagine any other family.”

Wally gave Barry a small smile and spoke to Len. “I only found out about them last year, but now that I get Barry and he isn’t so damn weird with his lies about Flash stuff, it’s really great having a brother on top of finding out I had a sister and a father,” he said and Barry gave him a warm look.

“Cute,” Len said, and Barry saw no sarcasm in his eyes as he looked at Barry this time. “Well, Sir, you did a great job with Barry,” he said, winking teasingly at Iris. “For someone his age to be so mature means he had a great role model growing up.” Barry rolled his eyes, because now Len was just laying it on thick. 

“Yeah, speaking of age,” Joe said, interrupting their moment. “You’re a hell of a lot closer to my age than his,” Joe said with a dark look. “What are your thoughts on that?”

Iris glared at her father. “That Barry is an adult capable of making his own choices, Dad,” she said firmly.

“No, no, he’s right,” Len said to Iris. “If my sister was dating someone old enough to be her father, I probably wouldn’t take it well either,” he said with a bow of his head towards Joe. “But ultimately, the truth is that I thought Barry was older, he thought I was younger, and I don’t regret that misunderstanding, because I was in a bad place when I came back, and Barry makes it hard to lose touch with the good things in life. He _is_ one of the good things in my life. One of the best ones,” he said seriously. “And it would be a shame to let the age difference matter when it comes to that.”

Joe hummed, glancing over at Barry. “So this is what you picked to be your boyfriend? A middle-aged crook?”

Barry narrowed his gaze some. “Yep, sure is.” He glanced at Len. “Not sure I’ve ever called you my boyfriend, though.”

Len chuckled. “Not sure I’ve ever been somebody’s boyfriend,” he said right back, making Barry grin. 

“Dad,” Iris said pointedly. “You didn’t approve of me dating Eddie, either. And Barry and I already disabused you of the notion he and I would ever end up together before Eddie died and nothing has changed there.” Barry always felt uncomfortable bringing up his and Iris’s weird feelings. They came close, once. They almost ended up dating. They had even kissed once, which was kind of awkward to think about now that he had truly moved on from lingering thoughts about them one day getting together.

“I have to make choices that affect the fate of the entire city all the time,” Barry said calmly. “I think I can make choices about who I date.”

Joe snorted. “Yeah, and when you have a nasty breakup, he’s gonna go off and terrorize the entire city just to spite you, that’s a pretty real danger in dating a criminal mastermind.”

“Dad, that’s not fair,” Wally said in Barry’s defense. “Barry does not have to consider that sort of stuff just to date somebody-“

“Oh, this is coming from Mr. Taillights,” Joe said accusingly. “Barry’s dating a criminal, I don’t think another criminal gets to comment on that.”

Wally flinched like Joe had slapped him, and Iris put a hand over her mouth. Joe actually looked startled at himself, and Barry just glared at him as Wally nodded sadly and stood up from the table. “Well. It was nice meeting you,” he muttered to Leonard on his way out of the room. 

Iris stood up to go after him. “Great job, Dad,” she said on her way out. “Wally, c’mon,” she called, going after him.

Barry sighed. “I think that’s my cue to see you out, Len,” he said, and Len nodded, standing without another word. Barry shook his head, staring at Joe as he followed Len, who didn’t bother saying goodbye to Joe on their way out. 

Iris sat on the front steps when they walked outside and Barry groaned. “He run off?” he asked, and she nodded, standing up.

“Sorry for all the trouble,” Len said to Iris. “But it was lovely to meet you, Miss West,” he said, and she gave him a welcoming smile.

“Call me Iris,” she said, reaching out to shake his hand briefly. “Don’t worry about my dad. He’s just protective and-“

“And I am reasonably scary, I do understand,” Len said and Barry smiled sadly. Len scrunched his nose with a little shrug. “It’s to be expected, really, I’d be more worried if a police officer wasn’t highly suspicious of me.” He turned to Barry, who gave him a sad little pout. “I should get home,” he said and Barry nodded.

Barry slid his arms around Len’s shoulders, hugging him as he laid his head against Len’s. “I knew this would be bad, but that was less funny than I thought and more mean. Joe was in a bad mood already, I guess.”

“It’s fine, Scarlet,” he murmured, squeezing him around the middle lightly. “You got it over with now.” He pulled back with a little smirk. “And it really was funny before he upset your brother,” he teased, making Barry roll his eyes at him.

Barry leaned in and kissed him sweetly, sighing when Len rubbed his hip absently while making the kiss linger. “Goodnight, Len.”

“Goodnight, Red,” he replied, kissing his cheek once more before he turned and headed down the steps, crossing the lawn in long, graceful strides that Barry couldn’t help but watch. 

It wasn’t until Len had mounted his bike and put on his helmet, waving once more before he pulled away from the curb that he realized Iris had also been watching the whole time. “He might be kinda-evil, but that man has some nice legs,” Iris said, and Barry laughed in surprise, shoving her playfully.

“Iris!”

“What?” she said with a giggle. She poked him in the belly. “He’s cute, Barry. I never realized how attractive Captain Cold was. Long legs, pretty nice butt, and those _eyes_ ,” she said with a dramatic sigh. “So pretty.”

Barry blushed, looking down. “He’s really handsome,” he agreed.

Iris poked him in the middle again, then snickered. “You make me sick. You eat enough to actually distend your belly and then it all burns off in hours,” she said, and he looked down at his middle where she poked him and, sure enough, he was bloated.

“Yeah, well, I physically can’t eat enough food to keep me going, so I have to scarf down disgusting calorie bars anytime I do anything strenuous, abs are not worth that struggle,” he said, and Iris let out a sound that could only be called a cackle.

“Oh my God, wait, do you have to ruin the post-sex snuggles by getting crumbs in the bed?” she asked, laughing when he flushed. “Oh you do! Oh God, Barry, that’s so bad.” She shoved him playfully. “Wow, that man really must love you if he is willing to deal with THAT.” Barry winced some and she sobered up. “Wait, do you-“

“Yeah,” Barry whispered nervously. He fidgeted some. “I- I think I love him,” he admitted, ducking his head.

“Awwww,” Iris cooed. “Barry! I’m so happy for you!”

He groaned, running a hand through his hair. “It’s just scary. Because I mean, what if- I mean, this is a very backwards relationship, Iris. It was just sex, and was only ever going to be just sex, but then I got to actually know him, and he’s really great, and now I think I love him and he’s only just met my family. Nobody knows we’re dating. I mean, his sister might, but nobody else does.” He sighed. “It’s just so backwards.” 

“Aw, Barry.” She patted his arm and leaned into his side. “It’s the first relationship you’ve had in a like a year or something. You’re allowed to feel weird about it,” she comforted. “Now, you go see if you can find Wally now that you’re freshly fueled up,” she joked, poking his bloated middle. “And I’ll go yell at Dad.”

“Done,” he agreed readily, running upstairs to grab his spare Flash suit so he didn’t set his clothes on fire looking for Wally.

~

Barry had been getting dizzy more often after his weird dizzy spell in his room the night Len came to family dinner, but he could only assume it was the tension at home making him nervous and making him hungrier. He brought it up with Cisco as he got more calorie bars from him and Cisco nodded as he packaged them up for Barry.

“The stress. I stress eat and I’m normal. Why do you think my hips are so big?” he asked, wiggling his butt. Barry laughed and swatted him on the ass.

“It’s weird though,” Barry admitted, looking down at his middle. “I’m bloated. Like, it never goes away. I’m starving and bloated.”

Cisco hummed. “Weird. You do look a little thicker than usual, but you’re a twig anyways,” he dismissed. “Wait,” he said, looking at him curiously. “Have you felt nausea? Pain? Stomach growling even when you aren’t hungry?”

Barry frowned. “Well, no pain, not really. And I’m always hungry sort of, so I figured the growling was from that. And I’ve felt a little queasy the last week or so, but I never barf.”

Cisco snapped his fingers, nodding. “Yup, bet it’s an ulcer.” He gestured absently. “My aunt Susie gets stomach ulcers all the time, and she gets bloated and constantly feels hungry and gets a little queasy. I mean, hers hurts, too, but maybe with your healing it is trying to heal and keeps reforming cause of all the stress, and never gets bad enough to hurt.”

“Huh,” Barry muttered. “Yeah, that could be what it is. Think I should ask Caitlin about it?” he asked.

Cisco shrugged. “Go for it? I mean, I don’t know if she could give you anything to help you, but it’s worth asking, probably. If nothing else, maybe she can give you some stress tips. Yoga. Tai chi. More super human booze,” he said as he held out the bagged protein energy bars, and Barry wiggled his eyebrows.

“Now that I wouldn’t say no to,” he said, accepting the bag of bars. “Thanks, Cisco,” he said, high-fiving him on his way out of the lab. He could give Caitlin a call later.

~

Len grunted with each thrust that jarred his whole body from where he was, pinned to the wall outside his bedroom, legs around Barry’s waist as Barry held him there and fucked him roughly. “Barry, fuck,” he moaned, clinging to his shoulders, unable to hang on to anything else in this position. Barry panted into his throat, whining with each thrust, and Len knew he was close. “C’mon, Scarlet,” he moaned, tightening his legs around Barry. The slight shift made every thrust hit _just right_ to make pleasure spark from his fingertips to his toes. “Right there, shit, Barry, fuck!” he moaned hoarsely. “Holy shit, right there, right there,” he whined.

Barry gave a hoarse groan and _vibrated_ all over, making Len gasp in pleasure as Barry came hard. Barry whined softly as he pulled out and let Len’s legs down. Len leaned heavily against the wall to keep his shaking knees from giving out on him, but Barry slumped to his knees. “Len, shit, Len,” he moaned, looking up at him. Len fully planned on giving him a minute to catch his breath, but Barry seemed totally unconcerned with catching his breath, because he immediately reached for Len’s erection and took him into his mouth in one movement. “Mmmm,” he moaned around Lens cock, and Len groaned.

“Fuck, Red, this won’t take long,” he warned him, reaching down to pet his hair and his face absently, only to cry out and grab a handful of it when Barry slid two _vibrating_ fingers back inside of him and found his prostate pretty quickly. “Barry!” he cried as he came, hard.

Barry pulled off, choking some, and wiped at his mouth, cleaning off what spilled out. “A warning would be nice,” he rasped and Len groaned, barely able to remain standing as he propped against the wall.

“Should’ve thought of that before you decided to finger me,” he drawled, grinning down at Barry slowly. Len tipped his head back, only to startle when Barry coughed and then scrambled to his feet and flashed away. “Barry?” he asked, following the direction of the trail of lightening, only to hear retching in the bathroom. “Barry?” he called as he walked towards the bathroom, only to groan when he saw Barry hanging over the toilet bowl. “Oh crap, Scarlet, I’m sorry,” he said, rushing over to fill the glass on the sink with water and kneel down beside Barry, rubbing his back.

“Eurgh,” Barry groaned, resting his cheek on his forearm. “It’s not you, I promise,” he said, turning to retch again, which Len closed his eyes to not have to watch.

“Well, I’m officially the biggest jerk ever,” Len said. “I literally made my boyfriend sick with sex.”

Barry laughed hoarsely. “It’s not you.” He sat up, wiping at his mouth with a wad of toilet paper. He grabbed the glass and sipped it as he sat back on his knees. He rubbed his forehead with a wince. “I’ve been a little queasy all day, and I gag really easily lately. I should’ve known better, and you didn’t know, so it’s not you.” He cleared his throat, grimacing. “I made myself throw up just brushing my teeth last night.”

Len reached out, brushing his hair back from his face. “Are you okay? If you felt sick, you didn’t have to come over when I called you-“

“No, I wanted to,” Barry said quickly, leaning into Len’s hand on his face. “I’m not sick. I don’t think so anyways. I’ve had some weird stuff going on lately, and Cisco said it sounded like when his aunt had a stomach ulcer. I was going to talk to Caitlin about it, but I forgot and got busy. Guess I should actually do that tomorrow.”

Len winced. “Stomach ulcer, huh? That isn’t fun. Lisa gets those sometimes. When she was a teenager, one of them got so bad she puked up blood. Had to take her to the hospital and everything.” 

“Well, no blood yet.” Barry winced. “I just feel really crappy. I’m always hungry, which makes me dizzy, and when I eat more, it just makes me feel all bloated all the time. And I felt sorta queasy on and off for a little while, but now I’ve got a very sensitive gag reflex so I’ve barfed like four times in the past week. Which means I have to eat even more. Cisco already gave me extra bars.”

Len smiled sadly, playing with Barry’s bangs. “Well, how about you eat a few of your bars as soon as you feel like getting up, and I’ll go order pizza. We can watch a movie and eat a ton of pizza,” he suggested and Barry sighed, eyes fluttering shut.

“That sounds incredible. Thanks.” He smiled tiredly. “You’re actually pretty good at this ‘boyfriend’ thing.”

Len wrinkled his nose. “I know, right? It surprised me, too.” He stood up and leaned down once more to press a kiss to the top of Barry’s head before going to get cleaned up, get dressed, and call and order several pizzas.

~

Pizza was a bad idea.

It was a very bad idea. 

When he ate it last night, with Len laughing at the sheer volume of pizza he could eat, he felt fine, but when he woke up to Len kissing along his shoulders and reminding him he had to meet Caitlin, he felt like his insides wanted on the outside. “Oh God, why?” Barry whimpered, and then flashed out of bed and to the bathroom. 

Len had him a glass of seltzer and a few pieces of plain toast for when he came out, and he gave him a serious look before saying, “Go get them to help you with this.” When he kissed him goodbye at the door, Barry was overcome with the urge to cry at how sweet Len was and how gentle he was in his care for Barry while he was feeling bad. Barry had no idea what had come over him, but for some reason, such kindness made him insanely emotional.

When he got to STAR Labs and relayed all the problem he was having to Caitlin, she, like Cisco had suggested, figured he probably had a stomach ulcer. She suggested that, for him, the easiest course would be to do a barium swallow and x-ray of his digestive track. She wasn’t trained in that sort of thing, but like everybody they seemed to know, she was a genius, so she only needed to study up on it while Barry ‘borrowed’ the supplies from a doctor’s office. By the time they were ready, Cisco had arrived, and he sat eating tacos and laughing at Barry’s face when he drank the barium liquid and had to lay there with that taste in his mouth while Caitlin did her x-rays

He stopped laughing, however, when Caitlin made a confused sound, looked at something more closely on the screen, and then cried, “Oh my God!” and immediately shut off the fluoroscopic x-ray machine and pulled it away from Barry.

“Uhhhh, Caitlin?” Barry asked, watching her as she aimlessly turned around a few times, putting a hand to her moth and then to her waist and then to her forehead as she seemed too shocked to find words. “Caitlin, you’re scaring me.”

Cisco’s eyes widened. “Shit, is this like Alien? Is Barry infested with worms or something?”

Caitlin took a breath, hand on her chest, and turned back to Barry. “Barry. Hey, so.” She chuckled awkwardly, doing something akin to strange jazz hands. “Just- just out of curiosity.” She cleared her throat. “We- we’ve never talked about, oh, our- our sexual orientations. I mean, I know you like girls, but, uh.” She chuckled. “Well, I sure like men, how about you?” she asked brightly, and then grimaced, muttering to herself as she slapped herself in the forehead.

Barry looked at Cisco, who seemed just as confused, and looked back, brows furrowed. “Uh, yeah, I do? It’s never really come up, but it’s not a secret I’m bisexual… but what does that have to do with this?” he asked slowly. He blushed suddenly. “I haven’t like, swallowed a condom and gotten it lodged in my stomach or something, have I? Oh God, how could I miss something like that?!”

“Ha!” Caitlin laughed suddenly, loudly, almost hysterically. “No, no condom in your stomach, but I’m pretty sure condoms would’ve helped prevent this one.”

Cisco made a face. “Oh ew, does Barry have some weird STD that shows up on an x-ray? A, I didn’t know that was possible, and B, what the hell, Barry, no glove no love, man!” he chastised. 

Caitlin sucked in a breath and exhaled slowly. “Barry. I take it you have had… unprotected sex.” She grimaced. “While- um- well, while _receiving_ -“

“Caitlin, we’re all adults,” Cisco said pointedly. “Whatever you have to say, just say it.”

Caitlin avoided both their gazes as she blurted out, “Somebody came inside of you, didn’t they.”

Cisco’s jaw dropped. “Okay, _that_ was not what I meant by ‘whatever’ you have to say. Please never ask Barry that again.” He glanced at Barry. “And you. Ew, man. You’re a scientist, how can you have unsafe sex?”

Barry flushed. “I- I’m immune to diseases and don’t have any, cause I’m a meta, and Le- um, the guy I’ve been seeing is definitely, one hundred percent healthy, so it’s not a problem.”

“And we don’t know everything about your body yet, Barry!” Caitlin said, once again, clearly on the verge of freaking out. “There is so much about meta humans we don’t understand, and your body is still unknown in some ways, and now I know exactly why you’ve had all these symptoms, and I just exposed it to radiation!” She gestured to the machine. “It’s _probably_ not a danger, but there is a slight risk in x-ray exposure and, without knowing for sure what you’re gonna think about it, that was very bad to risk!”

Cisco’s eyes widened. “Holy fuck.” Barry snapped around to look at Cisco in shock, because Cisco hardly ever swore. He wasn’t the type. He usually said something funny and quirky instead of cursing. “You’re dizzy, you’re hungry, you’re queasy, you’re getting fatter, and you have heartburn from greasy food, and you’ve been having unsafe sex with a mystery guy – I didn’t miss that, by the way, we will have words about secrets – and now I know why your stomach ulcer wasn’t painful, because it’s not a stomach ulcer.”

Barry frowned, and Caitlin rolled her eyes. “You’re pregnant,” she said bluntly.

Barry stood up so fast he was pretty sure he flashed to his feet, and he could _feel_ the blood draining from his face. “Holy fuck,” he said in agreeance with Cisco, right before his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he dropped to the floor.

~

Barry woke slowly to the feeling of fingers in his hair and he whimpered. “Len?” he asked, blinking, only to see Iris’s face. “Irissss.” Barry’s voice trailed off into a hiss as he lost consciousness again.

~

Len was with Lisa getting coffee when Barry called him, which was unusual, because Barry usually texted a few times before calling, so he answered. “Barry? What’s wrong?”

“It’s Barry.”

Len’s blood ran cold and he froze on the spot, catching Lisa’s attention where she waited at the counter for their coffees. “Iris? What’s wrong? Why do you have-“

“Look, just- just get to STAR labs,” Iris said, her voice strangled. “I- I can’t even begin to explain over the phone. Just come here. He’s okay, don’t be too scared, but he’s unconscious. So-“

“I’ll be there in seventeen minutes,” Len said, hanging up quickly. He slid out of his seat and started for the door. 

“Lenny? LENNY?!” Len ignored Lisa even as the click of her heels chased after him. “Lenny, what’s going on?”

Len took a breath and turned back, trying to fix on a face she would believe. “Nothing, I just have to go do something really fast.” 

She crossed her arms. “Lenny, I haven’t seen you all week, what’s so important you’re running out on me?”

Len gritted his teeth. “Nothing I can tell you about. Now I’ll call you later,” he said, turning to continue to his bike. He slung a leg over it, but she just stalked over to her bike. “Lisa, _no_ ,” he said firmly, but she just jammed her helmet on her head and cranked up the bike.

“Not unless you tell me what’s wrong,” Lisa said, and Len closed his eyes and took a breath wishing for patience. “That’s settled then. Lead the way, Lenny,” she said, and Len decided that he couldn’t waste time to argue with her. If Barry was unconscious, something had gone very wrong, and if Iris was calling him to come to STAR Labs when he was pretty sure Ramon and Snow didn’t know Barry was dating him, it had to be bad enough to throw that secret away.

Hopefully Barry wouldn’t hate him for potentially outing him to Lisa as well.

~

Len headed straight to Team Flash’s center of command when he arrived, not waiting for Lisa to follow him (though she did anyways). When the approached, he could hear raised voices, and just as he and Lisa walked into the room, Caitlin all but shouted, “Look, I know what I’m doing, the baby is fine!”

Lisa perked up. “Ooh, baby? Congratulations, Caitlin,” she said brightly and they all spun comically to face Len and Lisa. “Who’s the lucky daddy to be?”

“Cisco!” Iris said quickly, and Len tensed some as he saw the way his sister’s smile faded just a little before she forced it back in place. However, when he looked over, he could only see the grimaces on both Cisco and Caitlin’s faces as they looked at each other.

Caitlin laughed awkwardly. “Uh, yep, me and Cisco, little baby Snow-Ramon.”

“Ew, no,” Cisco said, making a face. “Also, I’m not taking the fall for this one,” he said decisively. “And Iris, what the hell are the Snarts doing here, I thought you said you were calling Barry’s boyfriend.” Iris said nothing, and Len said nothing, and slowly, it seemed to dawn on them all at varying intervals. Lisa wheeled on Len, eyes wide in surprise, and he knew instantly that she had put far more than just two and two together to get four. Caitlin’s slight gasp came next, and then Cisco held up both hands, fingers pointed. “You are _not_ telling me that Barry is dating _Cold_!”

Lisa narrowed her eyes at Len. “So The Flash’s name is Barry, huh. I knew something went down between you and The Flash that night he had his little breakdown on us.”

Len ignored them though and looked at Iris. “Iris, where is Barry and why am I here? I’m pretty sure it’s not to talk about Caitlin’s baby or whatever is going on with Cisco in that regard.”

Nobody spoke for a moment and Cisco was the one to start. “Okay, look.” He turned to Len. “We’ll deal with the whole ‘Captain Cold has been dating The Flash’ thing later, but for now, he deserves to know what’s going on with Barry if you called him here for it,” Cisco said to Iris.

Iris glared. “And Barry deserves to decide for himself whether he wants him to know and exactly how he finds out-“

“Yeah, I agree, but you called him here before coming to that decision in the first place!” Cisco hissed at her. “Now he’s here, and if we don’t give him answers he’s gonna be pissed, and I know what happens when you piss off a Snart! Lisa got Heatwave to set my _mailbox_ on fire because I wouldn’t go out with her!”

Len turned to Lisa, eyebrow raised. “Did you really?” She shrugged and smirked and he hummed. “Not bad.”

Cisco huffed. “Burned like three magazines in there. And it was National Geographic week, too,” he muttered under his breath.

“What is going on with Barry?” Len asked plainly. “And do remember he isn’t in the room to stop me from breaking things until you tell me where he is and if he’s okay.”

“Look,” Caitlin said. “Barry might not want us to tell you-“

Len leveled her with a glare. “You have thirty seconds to tell me what’s wrong with Barry or I’ll make you,” he threatened, though he knew she could see right through it.

Caitlin sighed. “Oh he’s fine. He just fainted. He didn’t eat enough for the shock he received or his condition.” She gestured for him to follow her. “Come with me and you can see him. I’ll explain everything along the way.”

“Caitlin, we can’t let Cold just go in there while Barry’s unconscious-“

“Cisco, Barry has been spending several nights a week with Leonard,” Iris said plainly. “If he was going to hurt Barry in his sleep, he would’ve done it any of the dozens of times over the past few months that Barry has been seeing him.”

Len nodded to her gratefully and left Lisa standing there as he followed Caitlin to go see Barry.

~

Len spotted Barry, lying pale and unmoving on a hospital bed, and could only imagine this is what it had felt like for Iris and Joe. He walked over and caught Barry’s hand, pulling it up to his lips. “Scarlet, what’s happened to you?” he breathed against Barry’s palm. He looked up at Caitlin as she walked to stand on the other side of him. “What happened? I thought he just had a stomach ulcer?” He reached down, touching Barry’s hair gently. “He’s been vomiting and he’s been so tired, too. I knew something was wrong when he started getting really pissy and emotional over the smallest stuff, and then he started having trouble eating enough to keep him from getting dizzy, and he started getting sick-“ Len stopped suddenly and he looked up at Caitlin, the blood draining from his face. “Oh.”

Caitlin nodded slowly. “I’m… not pregnant.”

Len looked down at Barry’s face. “He is,” he breathed in shock. “Oh. Oh God.”

He could hear Caitlin moving around and he found her guiding him into a chair without making him let go of Barry’s hand. “Here, I don’t need you fainting on me, too.” She walked back around the bed and watched him as he pressed his lips to the back of Barry’s hand, holding it gently with both of his. He tapped his toes, fidgeting restlessly, and he saw her eyes soften. “You two really are a couple, huh. You love him,” she realized, and he said nothing to disabuse her of that notion. She gave him a small smile. “Barry’s fine. He’ll wake up whenever. He isn’t sedated and he’s had an IV to help with the whole malnourishment issue.”

“He was hungry because his body needed more energy to support the baby,” Len realized, eyes glancing to Barry’s middle. Under the blanket, it was impossible to tell anything was different. “He isn’t bloated. He’s-“

“Starting to show,” Caitlin confirmed. “I’m no obstetrician and I know nothing about pregnancy or babies, but a google search and an ultrasound suggests he’s probably close to three months pregnant.” She hesitated. “I don’t know how that times with- uh-“

Len nodded, still looking at Barry’s middle. “We’ve been together four months, one week, and five days.” He shook his head. “We didn’t-“ He swallowed. “It’s only been a month since we actually went on a date. Before that it was just- just sex.” He inhaled deeply and closed his eyes, exhaling. “The baby, is it- is it healthy?”

Caitlin shrugged. “I guess so. I don’t know anything about obstetrics. I’m sorry.” She offered him her tablet. “This is what the internet says, which is all that I know. I’m sure Barry will want to know, so you can show him when he wakes up. After he calms down we can talk about figuring out what to do next.”

Len put the tablet down and, after she walked away, he took Barry’s hand back in his and let out a ragged gasp for breath, brows furrowed as he bit his own thumb as it curled around Barry’s hands. His eyes prickled but he just ignored it, looking at Barry’s face helplessly, willing him to wake up just for a moment at least so that he wasn’t the only one feeling so incredibly lost and confused for at the moment.

~

When Barry stirred, Len’s heart stopped for a moment because he had no idea what to say. He had no idea how Barry would react. He didn’t know how to proceed from discovering that Barry was _pregnant_ after Barry fainted from the news himself. When Barry finally opened his eyes and they landed on Len, he watched, his own eyes a little misty, as tears filled Barry’s eyes. “Hey, Len,” he whispered, looking absolutely terrified.

Len sucked in a breath and pressed a kiss to Barry’s knuckles, pulling back far enough to stroke his fingers. “So, a pansexual guy and a bisexual guy walk into a bar,” he started, and Barry’s lips turned up just a fraction at the corners with hope at Len’s lead up for a joke. Len smiled carefully, trying not to convey fear to add to Barry’s. “And a few months later they find out they’re going to have a baby.”

Barry snorted as tears started to streak his face even as he laughed, shoulders shaking from tears or laughter, Len wasn’t sure, he just held his hand. “Len,” Barry half-laughed, half-sobbed, and Len wasted no time standing up far enough to lean in and kiss him, surprisingly hard and fast, and then pulled back far enough to press their foreheads together as he shushed Barry. “ _Len_.”

“Shhhh, it’s okay, Barry,” Len comforted, pressing their foreheads together. “You’re okay, it’s okay, I promise. Just relax, Scarlet.” Barry pushed Len away slightly, and for a heart stopping moment he thought Barry didn’t want him touching him, but Barry kept hold of his hand and sat up. “Barry, should you be getting up-“

“I’m fine,” Barry said, shaking his head as he sat up. He slid to the edge of the bed, looking at the IV in his arm. “I feel a lot better now, but I know if I touch this, Caitlin will kill me.” He looked up at Len. “Can you get her?”

Len nodded, kissing Barry’s forehead before he turned to go find her. He really hoped Barry remained this calm when she started talking to him.

~

Barry fidgeted while Caitlin took the needle out of his arm, glancing over at Len almost helplessly, somewhat terrified that Len was going to bolt any second. Clearly, he hadn’t signed up for this. Barry hadn’t either, but Len was the one who could run away from it. “Well, you’re okay now. Your hormones being all crazy are what’s made you get dizzy and you just need to eat more but be careful of food aversions to keep from fainting again. Also, nothing as shocking as that should happen again.”

Barry cleared his throat. “Yeah, I feel a lot better now.”

“Cisco already agreed to try baking up the protein bars with even more calories,” she explained. “So just keep up with those and you’ll be okay.” She hesitated. “Well, as okay as you can be.”

Barry groaned. “Caitlin, how is this possible. How am I pregnant?” he asked in confusion. 

Caitlin raised an eyebrow. “You’re a scientist. I presume you know the birds and the bees.”

Barry snorted. “Yeah, but not the…” He frowned. “Which one is supposed to be men? Birds or bees? Either way, bees and bees or birds and birds should not work!”

“Yeah, it would’ve been useful to know male meta humans can get knocked up,” Len said, glancing at Barry. “Especially kinky ones like Barry,” he added with a smirk, making Barry blush.

“Well that’s more than I ever needed to hear,” Caitlin complained with a grimace. “But to be fair, we haven’t been experimenting on metas. Barry’s the only meta we’ve examined and we were mostly focused on his super speed, since, you know, that’s his power. Also, he doesn’t exactly ‘get around’, so we never had any reason to study sexual effects of those powers.”

Barry took a breath. “So… what do we do?” he asked softly. “I mean, you know nothing about pregnancy, I know nothing about pregnancy, I don’t even have a mom to ask about pregnancy. Also, I’m a _man_ so there has to be physical problems with that whole… ordeal,” he said, grimacing. “What do we even do, here?” he repeated.

“Well,” Caitlin said, clearly floundering. “I… guess that depends first on whether you want to keep it or not,” she suggested. “Theoretically, it should be possible to surgically remove it, so if you want to terminate, then we can probably handle that.” Barry’s stomach clenched and she clearly saw him pale. “But, if you want to do this, then we’re gonna need help. A lot of it. We’re gonna have to find scientists and doctors we can get to sign NDAs and figure this out as soon as possible.”

Barry bit his lip. “I hadn’t- I didn’t even think about… that,” he said, frowning. “I mean. I guess I should, right? I need to take a little while and think about my options, probably.”

“Of course,” Caitlin comforted, rubbing his upper arm. “This is a big shock, nobody will fault you for needing a little while to take it all in and think about it. If you want, you can go home. I can get rid of the others so you don’t have to talk to them before you leave.”

Barry groaned, rubbing at his forehead. “No. I should probably make a decision before I leave here or I’ll try to put it off. I might be here all day though, so it’s probably best everybody goes anyways.”

Caitlin nodded comfortingly. “I’ll be back in a little while to check in. Cisco went to get food anyways.”

Barry stared down at his hands in his lap and tensed slightly when he felt a touch to his shoulder before he looked up and saw it was just Len. He relaxed, and leaned into Len’s side, sliding his arms around Len’s waist. Len hugged him and Barry felt Len’s lips against the top of his head. “Do you want me to go? If you need to be alone, I’ll go.”

Barry squeaked and shook his head. “Please don’t,” he muttered against Len’s middle. “Shit, Len, what is happening,” he whimpered. “How did- I- this is so-“ He groaned, shaking his head, rubbing his face against Len’s shirt. “Are you angry?”

Len stilled in his hold and when he moved again, Barry’s chin was tipped up by two fingers, forcing him to look up at Len. “Scarlet, I am in no way, shape, or form _angry_ at you,” he said firmly. “Why would I be angry? It’s not like you knew any more than I did that this could happen.” 

Barry saw the honesty in Len’s eyes and whimpered as tears filled his eyes. “What should I do?” he asked hoarsely. “I don’t know what to do.”

“That’s up to you, Barry,” Len said seriously, stroking Barry’s hair off his forehead. “Whatever you decide to do, I’m behind you entirely. I’ll back you up on any choice you make.”

Barry frowned. “Really? What if I choose to have a baby?” He rolled his eyes. “You really didn’t sign up for _that_. I wouldn’t blame you if you ran for the hills.”

Len narrowed his eyes at Barry, almost playfully, which eased some of Barry’s fears. “It seems to me you’ve missed something very important, Red,” he said as he stroked Barry’s cheek. “It should probably go without saying that I don’t do dating, and meeting the parents, and being a boyfriend, so the fact I have done all of that for you should clue you in on something very important to our entire relationship.” Barry gave him a confused look and Len huffed. “I love you, Dumbass.”

Barry’s heart swelled and his breath hitched as he gave in to the blinding smile that wanted to come out. Len smiled back at him and Barry breathlessly reached for him. “Really? I love you, too,” he said breathlessly, and Len leaned down to kiss him gently. Barry moaned softly into the kiss, tightening his fingers in Len’s shirt. “Mmmmm,” Barry sighed. “Yeah, that’s what got us in this mess in the first place,” he said and Len gave a surprised little laugh.

“You’re the dirty one, Scarlet,” he teased, cupping Barry’s cheek in his hand.

Barry sighed, hanging his head. “What should I do, Len?”

“Your decision,” Len reminded him gently.

Barry looked up. “But what do you want?”

“Oh no, Red,” Len said, shaking his head. “This is all you-“

“But it’s not,” Barry interrupted. “Whether or not you want this makes a difference in my options, because if you don’t want this and I choose to have this baby, I’ll be on my own, and if you do want this and I choose not to, it’ll change everything, so it _does_ matter,” he argued.

Len took both of Barry’s hands in his and stepped back so he could look at him. “Barry,” he said, and Barry looked into his big, beautiful blue eyes. “Let me be clear, because you seem to have missed it the first time.” He squeezed his hands. “If you choose to not have this baby, I’ll be with you and we’ll get through it together, and things will be okay. If you choose to have this baby, then I’ll be with both of you and we’ll get through it together, and things will be okay.”

Barry looked up at him and this time he didn’t think he could blame his hormones for the way his eyes stung with tears. “Both of us, huh?” he asked in a warbled tone.

Len nodded seriously. “If that’s what you want, then yes.”

Barry sniffled, shaking his head. “It’s not that easy, Len. I live with my _dad_ , I know nothing about children. Wally’s the youngest person I’ve ever been around for more than an hour or so! I don’t know what you do with babies. I don’t- I don’t know anything about _anything_.”

“That’s okay, Barry,” Len comforted. “If you don’t want to do this, then you don’t. Caitlin said-“

“I know what Caitlin said, but I don’t-“ Barry groaned, dropping his head back. “God, I don’t want to have to decide yet, but I have to.” He shook his head. “I don’t even know how far along it is,” he said, looking down at his middle. He was still pretty much flat, just thicker. “We’ve been together for more than half the length of a normal pregnancy, it could be a fully formed fetus or it could be a cluster of cells, I have no idea.”

Len pulled away and Barry whimpered at the loss of contact, but thankfully, Len came back with Caitlin’s tablet from the table. “Actually she knows enough. She gave me this. It’s got the internet’s worth of information for your condition. She has no personal medical knowledge, but here.” He handed Barry the tablet. “It’s more information, at least.”

Barry took it and looked at the screen with a nod. He took a deep breath and woke it up and unlocked it. “Thanks, Len.”

Len kissed his temple and Barry leaned into it, seeking the comfort Len afforded him. “I’ll give you a few minutes if you want,” he murmured, but Barry shook his head.

“Stay,” he whispered, and Len nodded, curling his arms around him as he waited in silence, letting Barry start reading.

~

Len held Barry while he read. Eventually, they moved so that they lounged on the hospital bed, Barry lying against Len’s chest while Len sat patiently, watching him as he read. He never interrupted, because Barry needed him to just be with him at the moment. It wasn’t a hardship to spend well over an hour just looking at him. Barry was so very pretty. Len had always thought he was, but it never hurt to just admire him. He had such thick hair that was so shiny and soft as Len stroked his fingers through it. His eyelashes were longer and fuller than what most women paid really good money for. Lisa would kill for lashes like his, Len thought. His eyes were stunning. Big and a beautiful shade of green. He had freckles and pink, plump lips, and the cutest nose. He wasn’t handsome, he was _pretty_.

Len never would have thought when he first met Barry Allen that he would ever love anyone as much as he loved this kid, and he especially never thought he would love Barry Allen as much as he loved this kid. “Huh,” Barry muttered, not for the first time. Though this time he kept speaking. “Our baby’s fingerprints are already formed. Cool.”

Len’s heart clenched and he swallowed before speaking. “‘Our baby’, huh?” Barry tensed in his arms. Len stroked his side gently. “I take it you made a decision, then.”

Barry bit his lip, looking up at him. “I- I think so.” He frowned uneasily. “I’m…” Len saw the worry in his eyes and he gave Barry a comforting smile.

“Going to be a great father,” he said, and Barry blinked in surprise, but then smiled slowly, biting his bottom lip.

“You are, too,” he whispered and it really hit Len that _this was real_.

Len let out a slow breath, nodding. “So. We’re going to have a baby.”

Barry’s face slowly lit up, a smile growing wider and wider. “We’re going to have a baby.” He laughed and put a hand over his face as he turned into Len’s chest, hugging him hard. “This is really happening,” Barry laughed, and Len couldn’t help but smile as he watched Barry press his tearful face into Len’s shirt even as he laughed. Len hugged him closer, rubbing his back. “Oh my God, I’m pregnant and we’re going to have a baby. This is- this is real.”

Len nodded, kissing his head. “We’re going to have a baby.”

“I love you,” Barry blurted out, sitting up to look at Len head on. “This is crazy, and- and I never imagined anything even close to this happening, but I’m so relieved that it happened with you, Len.”

Len smirked, tilting his head. “Just think what we would’ve thought two years ago if one day we knew we’d be having a baby together, Scarlet.”

Barry snickered, ducking his head against Len’s neck. “Oh my God, I’d have wanted to kick my own ass.”

“I’d definitely think I’d been replaced by a clone,” Len joked. He grinned. “Although, I would’ve believed I jumped at the chance to sleep with you.” Barry gave him a surprised look and Len shrugged. “I always admired how your tight little body fits in that Flash suit.”

Barry snorted, but then looked down at his middle. “Not so ‘tight’ or ‘little’ anymore. I already don’t have abs anymore, really.” He tugged his shirt up, and Len could see how his middle had thickened. All he could think, as his fingers began to shake, was that that was their _baby_.

Len reached down and put his trembling hand on Barry’s stomach. Barry stilled and glanced at him with a nervous smile before closing his hand over Len’s. Len let out a small, breathless laugh. “Our baby is right there inside of you,” Len murmured as he stroked Barry’s stomach reverently. 

“Yep,” Barry said warmly. “Says it’s about the size of a plum.” He slid back down, laying against Len’s shoulder. “There’s so much to do and to think about, but for now can we just- just take a little while to get used to the idea that we’re having a baby?” he asked, and Len nodded, hand still splayed low on Barry’s belly, lips pressed to his hairline.

“I’m all for that, Scarlet,” he said, closing his eyes as he felt of the small bulge to Barry’s belly. “I love you,” he whispered, and Barry hummed against his chest, his own hand laying on top of Len’s. 

~

Having made their decision, the next step was for them to tell Caitlin. Len had gotten used to the idea pretty quickly and now he was pretty seriously worried about finding the right care for Barry to make sure both he and the baby could handle the pregnancy. She promised to get right on it, but explained that they needed to let her tell Cisco so she had some help.

Barry decided it was probably best that he tell him that he had chosen to have the baby with Captain Cold after all. Len let him go do that on his own, because Len knew well that, in spite of all the changes, both Caitlin and Cisco were still pretty terrified of him. He did understand why, so he tried to be as accommodating as possible. 

While they waited for Barry to talk to Cisco, Len looked over at Caitlin and decided to voice what he had been wondering. “Tell me, Dr. Snow. What are the chances this goes well?” he asked worriedly. “What are the chances both Barry and the baby are okay by the end of this?”

Caitlin looked at him searchingly before she spoke. “Without additional help, the best we can hope is that Barry is able to carry pregnancy without intervention and pray that I can do a C-section when it’s time for the baby to be born. Assuming his body’s mutations made it so that he’s able to have a fully natural pregnancy, there are still people all over the world who have children without any prenatal care.” She shook her head. “There’s also a very high mortality rate for those people, though. And their infants.”

Len nodded slowly. “And if we find the necessary care?” he asked hopefully.

She smiled uneasily. “Much better chances, but it’ll still be pretty high risk. His body isn’t normal, even if he were female, so his biology is either suited for pregnancy since it occurred naturally, or unsuited for it. However, the internet tells me that he’s probably past the point where miscarriage is most likely to happen even with all the fighting and super-speed, so that suggests his body is suited for it.” She shook her head. “I know nothing about pregnancy but I recommend right now that he stop all vigilante activity. The Flash needs to take about a six month vacation. He probably shouldn’t be ‘flashing’ either.” She grimaced. “Convincing Barry to do things at normal speeds will be very frustrating.”

Len shook his head. “I’ll take care of that,” he said. “Between me and Iris, we can keep nagging him about how he has to be careful for the sake of the baby.”

She looked at him closely. “I really hope you are as genuine as you seem, Cold,” she said seriously. “I know word is you’re a changed man, but there’s ‘no longer hurts people for the hell of it’ and then there’s ‘prepared to be a good father’. Barry is my friend, and I would hate to see him put his faith in you being there for him and then ending up a single parent.”

“I don’t particularly care what you or anyone else thinks,” Len said simply. “But I love him and, while I never imagined I would be a father, I always swore to myself that if I ever had children, I would be the father mine never was,” he said firmly. “I know I will never be anything like my father, because I practically raised my sister and never once did I ever do anything but love her and take care of her. Some people in my position would fear they might become like him, but I know I won’t. If everything goes well, Barry and I will have a baby that is more loved and more cared for than a lot of children could ever hope to have.” He shook his head. “I don’t do things in halves, Dr. Snow. I told Barry I was in and I’m in.”

She eyed him doubtfully, but he didn’t let it upset him. “I sure hope so,” she said simply, turning back to her computer.

~

Barry went home after Caitlin and Cisco – who was surprisingly chill with Barry deciding to have Captain Cold’s baby – went to work finding him the best people for figuring all of this out. After Iris was told to leave, he expected she would be the first one waiting when he got home, and he was not wrong. 

“Barry!” she cried, rushing over to him. “Oh my God, I’ve been worried. I thought you were going to call me, or somebody would call me, or- or something!”

Barry held up his hands. “I’m fine, I’m fine.”

“You’re not fine,” she argued. “What happened? What’s going to happen next?”

Barry let her lead him over to the couch and he sat down with a huff, putting his hands between his knees. “Well,” he said, shoulders raising as he took a deep breath and dropping when he exhaled heavily, smiling slowly. “I’m… going to have a baby.” He bit his lip, looking at Iris. “Caitlin and Cisco are finding the help we need to figure out how this happened and how it’ll progress and how to keep us both healthy.”

Iris smiled carefully. “So… you’re gonna have a baby.” Barry nodded and she grew brighter. “You’re going to have a baby!” she squealed, dragging him into a hug. “Oh my God, that’s so exciting!” She pulled back. “And scary, oh man, how did Leonard take it?” she asked with a worried furrow to her brows.

Barry sighed. “Oh my God, he’s totally all in,” Barry said cheerfully. “I think he’s actually kind of happy,” Barry said, putting a hand on his middle. “He kept touching my stomach and going all misty-eyed,” he said, looking down at his belly. “He was really clear about things, he wouldn’t tell me what he wanted, he just kept saying it was my decision and he’d back me either way and he wouldn’t say anything to influence my decision, and he stayed with me while I read up on my condition as it is right now, and when I decided, he was just like ‘okay’.” Barry smiled up at her. “He loves me, and he’s- he’s really in.” He shook his head. “Len wants this, too,” he said with a happy sigh. “Iris, this is terrifying and crazy, but we’re gonna do it.” He nodded, rubbing at his belly. “It’s happening.”

Iris wrapped him up in another hug. “Barry!” She reached down and touched his belly. “I’m gonna be an aunt!” 

“Hopefully,” he said brightly. “I mean, I’m really hoping this goes well. I’m in now, and Len is, too, and now that just means worrying until we find out more. I mean, we want this and I want to know it’s gonna be okay.” He grinned down at his middle. “It has to be okay.”

Iris rubbed is belly. “It will be,” she comforted. “So… when are you gonna tell Dad?”

Barry groaned, dropping his head back over the couch. “Oh God.”

~

It took a week for Caitlin and Cisco to get him the help he needed, and it took quite a while to get them all to actually believe it, but Barry let them examine him without too much complaint and, eventually, two of the five people agreed to stay on and study Barry. The other three were still forced to sign an NDA so they couldn’t tell anybody about anything. 

(Len might have taken them aside on their way out and threatened them with something a lot more serious than a lawsuit if they did or said anything that would endanger Barry. Maybe.)

Dr. Carlton and Dr. Shelley were more than happy to join Caitlin in caring for Barry and his pregnancy. Dr. Carlton was a geneticist who joined Caitlin in enthusiasm to study something so unprecedented, and Dr. Shelley was a very well respected obstetrician with experience in neonatology who was known for caring for high-risk pregnancies. She had once handled the pregnancy, delivery, and neonatal care of a set of septuplets, all but one of which survived, so Caitlin figured if anybody could handle Barry’s special circumstances, it would be someone with her experience. 

Len didn’t care about their background as long as they could take care of Barry and their baby. Initial study and examination suggested that Barry and the baby were both healthy. “So what Caitlin suggested about him not using his super speed, what do you think?” Len asked, arms crossed nervously as he stood behind the table Barry lay on for examination.

Dr. Carlton and Dr. Shelley both looked at Caitlin. “Did you have a reason to suggest that?”

“Honestly,” Caitlin said with a wave of her hand, “I just wanted to be cautious.” 

Dr. Carlton turned to Barry. “Well, how long have you gone without using your powers in the past thirteen weeks?”

Barry shrugged. “Maybe twelve hours at the most?”

“Even in the past week?” Len asked Barry, and Barry gave him a guilty look.

“I keep forgetting I’m not supposed to!” he said quickly. 

Dr. Carlton hummed, looking at Dr. Shelley. “If his body is used to this, and if the pregnancy has progressed well enough without struggle, what do you think?”

“I think we should try you going a week without and then see what difference it makes,” she said. “We already agreed you shouldn’t be doing vigilante work while pregnant, but as for the speed, we should test it.”

Barry nodded seriously. “I won’t use my powers at all for a week. I swear,” he said, and Len narrowed his eyes at him.

“Really.”

Barry rolled his eyes. “Yes, I can do that, you know.” Len raised an eyebrow and Barry pouted. “I can!” he insisted.

Dr. Carlton nodded. “Then I suggest we do that. A week without it. We’ll compare to today’s physical.”

“So, as of now, I’m okay and the baby is okay?” Barry asked hopefully.

Dr. Shelley smiled comfortingly. “Your vitals match the information you had on file before pregnancy and the baby seems to be a normally developing thirteen week fetus. About three inches long at this point, which is absolutely average. Heartbeat registers normally. Everything seems fine for now.”

Len smiled involuntarily when he the giant smile that grew on Barry’s face. “Now comes the fun part,” Len said, reaching out to put his hand on Barry’s shoulder. “Stopping you from using your powers,” he said, and Barry gave him an annoyed little eye roll that did nothing to stop him smiling like mad.

“I swear I can do it,” Barry promised, and Len smirked.

“We’ll see.”

~

Barry was really late to everything now that he couldn’t super-speed anywhere. He’d gotten so used to flashing around that, now, he wasn’t just late, he was actually missing things. He agreed to help Wally with his project and didn’t even make it home before Wally left for class. He was so late to work one day that they had to call a CSI tech over from another precinct to do the job for him. To his credit, however, he was able to stop himself from using his speed. 

Lying to Joe about why he wasn’t using his speed was hard, but he couldn’t tell him yet. They were finally, slowly making up after Barry hid his relationship from him, and Barry wasn’t ready to make Joe even angrier at him for being as stupid as to have unsafe sex with Captain Cold. He knew deep down that Joe was upset because he was scared for Barry. Dating Len had to look bad to him, and being pregnant would only scare him even more. Joe would freak out and come across as really pissed, but he’d actually be terrified Barry was going to end up dying from complications or in a coma again or just heartbroken if the pregnancy went wrong and he lost the baby. Even knowing that Joe only got upset because he loved him, Barry didn’t want that fight, not yet. There was still so much to deal with beyond that, so he decided to hide the pregnancy from Joe for a while longer. 

So far, that wasn’t proving to be a problem. Barry had googled and had seen tons of women who were thirteen weeks pregnant and they all had round little bellies, but as tall as he was, he just looked ‘less skinny’ than he usually did. He wasn’t even fat-looking, yet. He just wasn’t so thin. His abs had started to not be as defined, but he was also gaining a little weight from all the food he had to eat to keep his energy up. He couldn’t risk fainting again, because if someone found him and called 911, it would be really, really bad. 

He also had to deal with Len being the most frustrating thing in the world.

Barry being unable to flash everywhere meant that he had to work through lunch, and every single day that week, _Len_ wore a different half-assed disguise to bring him lunch _at the precinct_. Sure, Len had no warrants and no records in the system anymore, but most of the cops still knew his face and knew he was Captain Cold, the one that terrorized the city for a while. They would still be tempted to draw their weapons and arrest him, which could always end in something bad happening.

His disguises were always something very half-assed, and yet nobody stopped him on his way up to Barry’s lab a single time. One day it was a hoodie with the hood over his head – which Barry thought would be _extra_ suspicious in a police station – to hide his identity. Once it was a baseball cap and baggy clothes that made him look like a little league coach. One day he wore a suit and tie and a pair of black-rimmed glasses that was really, _really_ sexy and may or may not have ended in them making out for a few minutes before Len took his leave. No matter what the outfit or how poorly it actually hid is identity, absolutely nobody gave him a second glance.

Until the day that he was leaving just as Barry was called down to Singh’s office and they walked downstairs together. Barry gave Len a quick kiss as he went to the elevator and Barry went to see Captain Singh, only for Singh to be standing right at Joe’s desk, both of them watching him as Len’s elevator disappeared. He paled some as he walked towards them, suddenly so sure that Captain Singh had just seen him with a known criminal and was about to fire him or arrest him. Joe looked stern and unhappy, but he said nothing. 

“Um, you wanted to see me, Sir?” Barry stammered. 

Singh nodded. “I did.” He nodded over Barry’s shoulder. “Was that guy up in the lab?” he asked, and Barry stammered.

“He- I- uh.” He swallowed hard. “My boyfriend brought my lunch, I swear that’s all, he wasn’t tampering with anything, Sir. He- uh- he’s not causing any trouble-“

Singh rolled his eyes. “Jesus, Allen, calm down. I just don’t like people without clearance in the lab, I’m not accusing your boyfriend of being a criminal or something,” he said, handing Joe back a file. “Thanks, Joe,” he said, grabbing Barry’s shoulder lightly. “You need to start giving your kid decaf,” he said as he led Barry to his office. 

When they slipped into the office and the door shut, Barry started up again. “I’m really sorry, I’ve just been having to work through lunch, and I- I’ve got that metabolism problem, so I can’t skip meals. He just worries, is all. It won’t happen again, but you should probably know Iris comes by sometimes-“

“Allen, breathe,” Singh said, rolling his eyes as he pulled his chair out and sat down. “Iris is always around here, I let her have a pass because she practically grew up around here so all the older guys like her.” He pointed at the chair across from him and Barry sat quickly. “And trust me, I know all about it,” he said with an eye roll. “Rob stays on top of my diet like a gymnastics coach, so I get the overprotective type bringing you lunch. Just get him to meet you down here, not bring it up to the lab,” he said and Barry nodded quickly.

“Yeah, okay, sure.”

Captain Singh nodded. “Good, now, we need to talk about you slacking this week and last,” he said, and Barry frowned. Singh glanced to be sure the door was shut and he leaned forward. “Look, I’m not an idiot, Allen. I know all about your ‘extracurricular activities’,” he said, and Barry’s heart _stopped_. The blood drained from his face and Singh raised an eyebrow. “Seriously? Barry, you think I became a police Captain and am so stupid that just covering your eyes keeps me from knowing your face? Give me a break,” he said, and Barry just continued to stare. Singh rolled his eyes once again. “Jesus, nice to know how much you think of my intellect.”

“You… you know? You’ve known?” Barry asked in a tiny voice, still utterly shocked. “But I- you- know I’m The Flash, what the hell?” he asked, frowning. “I thought I was so good at hiding it.”

“You suck at it,” Singh said with a grin. Barry deflated, and Singh chuckled. “Look.” He leaned forward. “You help us deal with stuff other than the big, bad, metahumans. There were two apartment building fires you didn’t even show up to this week, you didn’t show up to that building collapse, and the number of drunk driving accidents has gone up by nearly thirty percent,” he said. “Frankly, I didn’t realize how many drunks you kept from crashing their cars,” he added. “So I figured I should ask what’s going on.”

Barry bit his lip. “Well… since you know I’m The Flash, I… might as well tell the truth,” he said, and Singh gave him a warning look.

“I’ll pretend you didn’t just admit you were going to lie to me.”

Barry sat up straighter. “Well, Sir. I’ve got a condition. A temporary one that’s gonna cause me to have to stop being The Flash for a while.”

Captain Singh raised an eyebrow. “Oh yeah? How long does this temporary condition last?” he asked skeptically.

Barry hummed, looking around the room. “Oh, about, uh, nine months,” he said, rubbing at the back of his neck. “Give or take a few weeks.”

Singh just blinked at him. “Allen.”

“Yes, Sir?” he asked and Singh closed his eyes.

“The only ‘condition’ I know of lasts nine months is one you can’t have, Allen.”

Barry chuckled weakly. “I wouldn’t be so sure of that, if I were you, Sir.”

“Allen, I’ve seen you naked in decontamination before,” Singh said pointedly. “I’m not saying I was looking all that hard, but I’m fairly certain you don’t have the equipment.”

Barry nodded. “You’re right, sir, I don’t. But I’m also a metahuman.” He gestured to his general body. “There’s some scientists trying to work out the ‘how’ part, but there’s no denying what’s going on. Soooo for at least another six months, no more Flash help.”

Singh groaned, leaning back in his seat. “And how, exactly, did you plan on getting maternity leave, Allen?”

“Actually, Iris suggested I tell you guys I have cancer and need medical leave,” he explained.

Captain Singh huffed. “That’s… not so bad of an idea, really,” he admitted. He looked Barry over. “So… how long do I have to secretly be looking for a new CSI tech while you’ve ‘got cancer’?” he asked.

Barry glanced down at his middle. “Um… I dunno. A month, maybe? Not sure. I’m already a little thicker, but I’m not showing, so baggy clothes should last me a while.”

“Okay,” Singh said, shaking his head. He laughed suddenly. “My very male CSI tech is not only a vigilante with superpowers, but he’s pregnant.” He nodded out at the floor. “Boyfriend is the father?”

Barry smiled and nodded. “Yep. That’s why he’s been bringing me lunch. I have to eat a lot since I’m The Flash, and even more because of the baby.”

“Well then.” Singh nodded slowly. “I guess get back to work. I understand why you can’t do your ‘other job’ now, at least.”

Barry sat, waiting for him to continue, only to have Singh raise an eyebrow at him. “Oh,” Barry blurted out. “You’re done? So, I should-“

“Get out of here, Allen,” Singh said plainly and Barry scrambled to his feet, stumbling a bit.

“Oh, yeah, right. I’ve got some work anyways, so, yeah,” he said, going to the door. “I’m gonna go… work.” He nodded seriously, waving as he went out the door, then grimacing when he realized he had just _waved_.

It had been a long week.

~

After a week with no super speed – and no sex because he couldn’t help his speed sometime during sex – Barry really, really hoped that Dr. Shelley and Dr. Carlton would tell him it was okay to use his speed again. 

And have sex. Tons of sex. 

As he sat on the exam table, waiting for them to finish examining their findings on their tablets, he spoke up. “Hey, is there any reason in particular I’m like crazy horny all the time?” he blurted out in confusion. Caitlin and Cisco both looked up so fast they dropped things across the lab, and he flushed. “I- I mean- it’s a valid question!”

“It actually is,” Dr. Shelley confirmed with a chuckle. “It’s entirely normal for expectant mothers entering the second trimester to have an upswing in their sex drive. Usually it’s due to feeling better, but for you, it’s due to us figuring out what was wrong in the first place, so that now you aren’t dizzy from hunger and your hormonal output is being carefully monitored and treated accordingly. I would also suspect going without using your speed force for so long has caused a buildup of energy you’re used to expending, which can only increase your sex drive.”

Cisco grimaced. “Ew. I did not need to hear about Barry’s sex drive,” he said, and Caitlin nodded, nose scrunched up.

“I think we’re gonna go work in the other lab,” she said, and Cisco nodded, grabbing up his papers to follow her.

Barry turned back to Dr. Shelley. “So, have we figured out the speed force yet? Safe or not? Because I have to tell you, it’s _really_ hard to not use my powers,” he stressed. “They’re second nature now, so it’s seriously, seriously hard.”

Dr. Carlton came back with his tablet and shook his head. “I don’t see anything that suggests you shouldn’t use your speed. Your DNA is all the same. Your hormone balance is unchanged in any serious way. Maybe later on, when fatigue is higher, it will be too tiring to use it, but for now, while your energy levels are up, there’s no evidence that it’s harming you or the baby.”

“I have to agree,” Dr. Shelley said simply. “Still no vigilante stuff, though,” she warned.

Barry nodded seriously. “I probably won’t go running everywhere again, either. I’m sorta clumsy. I run into stuff a lot. And while my body heals if I slam into a parked car, I doubt the baby would.”

Dr. Shelley looked very alarmed. “Please do not super speed into parked cars in your condition. It would almost certainly result in your baby at the very least having birth defects, and most likely it would result in miscarriage.”

Barry paled. “Okay. I’m… gonna go call for a ride home,” he said, sliding off the table. “Yep, definitely getting a ride home.”

~

When Lisa pulled up in front of Barry in a sports car, he narrowed his eyes at her before he climbed in. “Lisa, if you stole this car, I swear to God-“

“Oh hush, Barry,” she said with a smirk. “It’s only stealing if I don’t plan on giving it back.”

Barry huffed as he put on his seatbelt. “That’s really not how it works. If you didn’t have a car you could borrow _with permission_ , you should’ve just let me call someone else.”

“But then I wouldn’t get to see you!” Lisa said brightly. “Aunt Lisa wanted to get a look at you,” she gushed. “Lenny told me you’re showing a little bit and I got really excited. I never thought I’d be an aunt!” she said with a nearly childish glee as she put the car into gear and they took off. “Lenny was right, you are a little chubby looking,” she cooed, reaching over to pat him on the belly before taking her hand back to shift gears. “I’m so excited, are you excited?”

Barry couldn’t help but smile as he saw the real, honest joy on her face. Most of the smiles he had seen on Lisa in the past were faked and he knew it, but that one, it looked just like Len’s smile when he was really, truly happy. “I’m totally excited. Terrified,” he added. “But excited.” He put a hand on his middle. “Len seems happy, but he doesn’t seem to do ‘excited’. He’s too levelheaded for such extreme emotions.” He smirked. “He always keeps it cool.”

Lisa giggled at his pun, shaking her head. “My brother shows his emotions in a very restrained manner, that is true. But I think he’s excited,” she comforted. “He’s definitely bringing out the ‘mother bear’ already. He sent out a message through the criminal underground that if anybody went after The Flash or his family, Cold was coming for them. There hasn’t been a credible threat against you in ages, but now, it wouldn’t just be a normal beat down you recover from, you could get hurt and lose the baby. He used to always worry people would realize he was on The Flash’s side, but he cashed in his last ‘ultimate evil’ chips this week.” She shook her head. “Everybody knows Cold is on the side of the vigilantes now.”

Barry grinned as warmth spread through his insides. “Good. Maybe I won’t have to worry about my kid growing up with his dad in prison like I did. Only Len would get busted for something he really did do.”

“I think he’s for real about going straight this time,” Lisa confided. “He hasn’t really planned anything since you two got together, he’s just laying low, but I think he’s realized that things are different now. If he’s gonna be a dad, he can’t go around from safe house to safe house. He’s got to settle down and go legit.” She chuckled. “I wonder if he’ll get a job. He’s never had a job.”

Barry smiled at the thought of Len heading to work in the mornings. “He’s really smart. He could do a lot.” He gave her a look. “Technically, he’s not a felon anymore. His records are clean. Even the record of him killing Lewis and escaping from Iron Heights. Even if people know who he is and what he’s wanted for, there’s nothing on record. Find somebody who didn’t read the local news last year and who knows.”

Lisa smiled warmly as she looked at the road. “I’m happy for you guys, Barry,” she said softly, warmth in her tone. “Lenny isn’t a bad man. Our life is what it is because it’s all he knew how to do, and he’s really good at it, and we just never got out of it. But now he can. He was really different after he d-died.” Barry looked at Lisa and saw her swallow hard even though she smiled. “He got a taste of being the hero instead of the villain, and I don’t think he was ever going to be the same again. Without that, he didn’t have much purpose, and you made him better, but being a dad.” She laughed softly. “Lenny’s going to be an amazing father.” She shifted her eyes to Barry’s momentarily. “I should know, because he practically raised me, and I turned out okay.”

Barry bit his lip, hand on his belly as he thought about it. “Len told me about how, because of what he did, time the way it was ‘fated’ to happen was broken and there’s no more ‘fate’, because nothing can stop free will now.” He looked out the window. “My ‘fate’ was to end up married to Iris, and at the time, I was so happy about that future.” He rubbed absently at the slight swell of his abdomen and smiled. “I think I like this future better. I love Iris, but not like I love Len. I never loved her the way I love him. I loved her because she’s the only person I ever let myself think of loving, and now I think maybe it was ‘fate’ doing that. Instead of marrying Iris and my life probably ending in eight years, Len and I are going to have a child.” Barry’s smile grew and his chest swelled, as if the joy he felt was growing and growing until he felt like he was going to burst with it. His eyes burned and he felt like he couldn’t contain his happiness any longer until, finally, he burst into tears even as he laughed instead of sobbed. “This is really happening, Lisa. I’m gonna be a dad. Len’s gonna be a dad.” He looked around, and outside the window, everything seemed so much more beautiful suddenly. “I’m having our _baby_.”

Lisa looked at him and he could see worry in her gaze. “You okay over there, Barry?” she asked, and he nodded quickly, still laughing with joy as tears streamed down his face.

“Lisa, I’m having your brother’s baby! I, Barry Allen, am currently pregnant with Leonard Snart’s baby, and we’re going to be fathers, and I’m in love with him, and he loves me back, and he’s already an attentive father to a baby we only found out about two weeks ago!” he gushed. “A year ago I was fated to marry Iris and Len was fated to die, and instead, now you and Iris are going to be aunts to our baby.”

Lisa chuckled, shaking her head. “Pregnancy is making you nuts, Barry. I sure hope Lenny gets stuck dealing with you crying and laughing like a crazy person. I’d kill to see his face in this situation.”

Barry thought of Len’s face and felt a whole different set of feelings at that thought. “Mmmm, I’ve got other plans for your brother when I see him tonight, and I really doubt there will be laughter or crying involved,” he said and she laughed.

“Crazy and horny! It’s hilarious,” she amended, grinning at him “Poor Len, he created a monster. A superhero with raging pregnancy hormones.” She wagged a finger comically. “Let this be a lesson about safe sex and superheroes.”

Barry flattened his hand to his belly and shook his head. “No, because if we were consistent with the condoms, I wouldn’t be carrying this baby right now.” He smiled and laughed again. “This is just so amazing, Lisa. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

~

Len was expecting Barry at the door, but he was not expecting to open the door to his apartment and immediately find himself with an armful of gangly, slightly-less-scrawny speedster. Len hummed in confusion and surprise as Barry kissed him in lieu of greeting, stumbling back a few steps under Barry’s attack. He heard Lisa laughing at the door, and when Barry finally let him pull back to breathe, he looked over Barry’s shoulder as Lisa wiggled her fingers and started to leave, shutting the door behind her. “Good luck with that, Lenny,” she called, and Barry turned to toss a ‘Bye, Lisa’ over his shoulder before coming right back for another kiss.

Len pulled back after a moment, hands on Barry’s waist to keep him back. “Not that I don’t really love the greeting, Red, how about you at least say ‘hi’ before you try and mount me,” he said with a teasing smirk.

Barry grinned at him and Len gave in, letting him step into his arms again. “Hi, Len. And I’m not trying to _mount you_ ,” he said with a teasing wink. “Not that I wouldn’t say yes to that.” He kissed Len’s cheek sweetly. “I’m just happy, because the doctors decided the baby and I are both healthy, I can use my speed safely, and I was thinking on the drive home.” He laid his head on Len’s shoulder. “I’m happy. Today I’m just really happy. We’re having a baby, Len.” He hugged Len closer and Len held him tighter, smiling against Barry’s hair. “This is our future. Me and you and our child.”

Len’s heart clenched and he closed his eyes, kissing Barry’s ear. “I love you.”

Barry pulled back and grinned. “So, about that whole ‘sex’ thing,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows like an _utter dork_. Len really loved that man. 

Len hummed dramatically, lips pressed together as he rolled his eyes and comically thought about it, before sneaking a hand down to grab Barry’s ass. “Yeah, okay,” he said with a grin and Barry laughed at him before kissing him soundly, tugging Len towards the bedroom.

“You know,” Barry said between kisses as he tugged at the buttons of Len’s pants on their way to the bedroom. “Dr. Shelley said sex is good for me.” He kissed Len again, moaning as he grabbed his face and kissed him. “Cause, she said-“ He moaned as Len pushed his pants down. “She said pregnancy hormones make you crazy horny and sex- _Oh_ ,” he moaned as Len unbuttoned his shirt, kissing a path down as he went. “Sex releases other hormones that make pregnancy less stressful.”

Len grabbed Barry by the hips and pushed him backwards onto the bed, smirking down at Barry. “So, you’re saying sex is good for your health and for the baby, huh?” he asked, shrugging his shirt off.

Barry wiggled his eyebrows. “Pretty sweet, huh?”

“And probably not true,” Len said, crawling onto the bed. “But.” He kissed Barry quickly. “Luckily for you, I’m happy to provide my sexual services,” he drawled, and Barry bit his lip with anticipation, which really, _really_ did it for Len. “Anything for you, Scarlet,” he purred as he lowered himself on top of Barry without hesitation. 

~

Len was in the middle of washing his face when the shower curtain was pulled back and another body joined him. “Oh no,” he said, turning around to look at Barry sternly as he slid up against him, pulling Len into a reluctant hug. “Barry Allen, you are officially cut off,” he teased and Barry pouted.

“But _Len_ ,” he whined, batting his eyelashes. “Just one more,” he purred, leaning into his body, nuzzling his jaw. “One more time, Len.”

Len rolled his eyes, turning around so that he could face the water, leaving Barry plastered against his back. “Barry, I physically cannot have more sex. I’m old, if you don’t remember,” he said and Barry snorted against his neck.

“You are not old,” he dismissed. He flattened his palms on Len’s chest, body fully flush against his back. “Just one more time, then I’ll go to work and leave you alone.”

Len smirked and spun quickly, pinning Barry against the wall. Barry gasped, but his eyes dilated with want. “This baby has made you absolutely insatiable. More insatiable than you already were,” he added.

“Len,” he breathed, looking at him hungrily, and Len chuckled, a real smile crossing his face. Barry blushed. “Stop it, I can’t help-“

“That you’re addicted to me?” Len joked, leaning in to kiss him. “Mmmm, it’s a serious compliment,” he whispered, then began to trail kisses down Barry’s throat. “I wasn’t kidding about the sex, though,” he murmured against his skin. “I really can’t, Scarlet. It’s only been like ten minutes. I’m in my mid-forties. There’s no way.”

Barry tipped his head back with a thump as Len kissed down his chest, crouching some to reach his nipple. Barry gasped, fingertips digging into the back of Len’s neck. “Please, Len,” he moaned. “Just touch me. Doesn’t have to be anything fancy, just- just- please,” he gasped.

Len chuckled and reached down between them, curling his hand around Barry’s erection. “You’re lucky I enjoy getting all those wonderful sounds out of you.” 

It only took minutes to reduce Barry into a whimpering, gasping mess of pleasure.

~

Len smiled across the counter as Barry sat on one of the barstools, scarfing down the waffles Len made him with a blissfully dazed look in his eyes and his hair still wet. “I’m not sure what I love more, how sexed up you look, or how much you seem to like my cooking.” He leaned on his elbows, smirking. “I’m like the perfect little housewife, keeping you fed and giving you orgasms.”

Barry rolled his eyes. “Well, seeing as I’m the pregnant one, not the _perfect_ housewife,” he teased. “Mmmm,” he moaned, eating another bite of waffle. “This is so good.”

“Your ‘yummy’ moans sound just like your sex moans,” Len pointed out, and Barry just flipped him off with the hand not holding his fork. “No thanks, already did that this morning,” he said, smirking when Barry opened his eyes and gave him a half-assed warning look. “Twice.”

“You cook delicious food and I burn toast,” Barry said. “Don’t judge me. I’m pregnant. Your baby is making me this way,” he defended, and Len’s smirk morphed into a warm, real smile.

Len circled the counter and stepped up behind Barry, sliding his arms around him. He rested both hands on Barry’s belly, tucking his chin over Barry’s shoulder. “Well, he takes after his Pops, then.” He kissed Barry on the neck. Barry leaned back against Len’s chest, humming with his mouth full. Len closed his eyes, inhaling and exhaling slowly as he held Barry, hand stroking gently over the very slight thickness of Barry’s middle. He could only imagine that he could feel a true bump beneath his hand, but it was still comforting. They were doing this. They were having this baby. Barry was his and he was Barry’s and this baby was _theirs_. “I love you, Barry Allen,” he murmured softly.

Rather than a reply, he was poked in the mouth with something sticky. He opened his eyes and realized it was a bite of waffle. He chuckled, but opened his mouth an accepted a bite of Barry’s breakfast, raising an eyebrow at Barry, who looked devious even as he chewed. “I’m pregnant, but you’re the one I wore out with sex this morning. We both need to refuel,” Barry teased and Len snorted, shaking his head. 

“You’re so thoughtful, Scarlet,” he drawled, winking at Barry playfully. “You eat up,” he said, giving his belly one last rub. “I’ve got to go call Iris and see if she’ll pick you up and take you to work. No flashing to work, right?”

Barry nodded dutifully. “Right. Gotta protect the baby, and if I crash into a parked car, that’s not protecting the baby at all.”

“Exactly,” Len said with a nod as he went to get his phone, taking one last long glance back at Barry as he sat happily eating waffles, looking utterly content.

~

Barry kept putting off telling Joe and Wally and it got harder and harder. He and Joe made up almost entirely, and he didn’t want to jeopardize it, but he was having to update Captain Singh week by week on whether or not he was gonna be able to keep wearing baggier and baggier clothes. It was definitely changing some things but, so far, things were still at the point that, very occasionally, and for only a few moments at a time, he actually forgot he was pregnant. It didn’t take long, though, for him to remember whenever he had to get his almost-daily poking and prodding at Star Labs.

Lately, Barry had been feeling like he had a lot of gas bubbling around inside of him for a couple of weeks when, one night, as he lay on the couch writing a report, he felt a much stronger ‘gas bubble’ and, all of a sudden, it hit him what he was feeling. He gasped and put a hand on his middle, sitting up sharply. “Oh my God!”

“What?” Wally asked, looking at him worriedly from where he and Joe were watching TV.

Joe raised an eyebrow. “You okay?”

Barry lit up, positively glowing. “It’s the baby! I didn’t realize what I’ve been feeling, but it’s the baby!” he gushed. He flashed to his feet, running upstairs to get his phone before coming back down. “I’ve gotta call Len!” he laughed. “Wally, Wally, call Iris for me!” he cried, positively jumping up and down with excitement as his phone rang. 

“Well hello, Scarlet,” Len answered, and Barry barely bit back a squeak.

“Len! Len, the baby is moving!” he cried excitedly, pushing his fingers through his hair. “I’ve been feeling it for ages now but I didn’t know what it was! I thought I had gas, but just then, it _kicked_!”

Barry could hear scrambling on the other end. “Is it really? Is it still moving? Barry-“

“I’m sorry,” Joe’s voice rang clearly behind him. “I think I’m going insane, because I would swear you just said you felt a _baby_ moving.”

Barry paled, still facing away from Joe and Wally. “Oh crap.”

“Red?” Len asked, and Barry swallowed hard.

“I… just said all of that in front of Joe and Wally.” He heard Len chuckle on the other end. “Could you maybe call Iris? I just asked Wally to, but somehow I don’t think he did.”

“Of course,” Len said softly, and Barry could hear the smile in his voice. “Do you want me to come over?”

Barry cringed. “Oh God, don’t, Joe will really shoot you this time.”

“Barry Allen, you better turn your little skinny butt around and talk to me right now,” Joe said, and Barry leaned his mouth closer the the phone.

“Gotta go, I love you, bye,” he whispered, then hung up and spun around. “So, hey-“

Joe was glaring at him from where he stood by the couch. “Barry, I swear to God, if you’re about to tell me you’re pregnant, not just gaining weight, I will seriously lose it. Like, for real now.”

Barry bit his lip, fidgeting. “So… uh. You noticed me getting fatter, huh?”

Wally’s eyes widened. “Whoa, Barry, you- I thought-“ He shook his head. “I really thought you were born a dude. Wow, hormones did a lot on you, Bro,” he said, and Barry snorted, rolling his eyes.

“Wally, no, it’s a metahuman thing, not a transgender thing,” he said, then grimaced when Joe actually slapped a hand over his face. “So… Joe,” he said slowly. He tried to be nonchalant, but the moment he made finger-guns at him he knew he was failing horribly. “I’ve kinda been putting off a little news. Good news, though.”

Joe blinked up at the ceiling. “Are you pregnant with Captain Cold’s baby?”

Barry bit his lip uneasily. “I- well _technically_ he hasn’t been Captain Cold since before he died last?” he tried weakly. 

“You, Barry Allen, are pregnant.” 

Barry nodded. “Yeah.”

“With Leonard Snart’s offspring.”

“Yep,” Barry confirmed, nodding. 

Wally smiled brightly. “Congratulations, Barry. How far along?”

Joe gave Wally a betrayed look. “Seriously? That’s all you’ve got to ask?”

“Well, yeah?” Wally asked. “Clearly things are going well if he was excited about it kicking, and I don’t wanna think about the baby’s conception so I really don’t wanna know how it happened,” he said seriously, turning to Barry. “Seriously, dude, if you so much as hint at how babies are made from metahumans, I will freak out on you.”

Joe sighed and returned to his chair, reaching over for his glass of scotch to down what was left. “Barry, you can probably imagine that, of my children, while I never seriously thought unplanned pregnancy would be a thing I had to deal with, you were not exactly the one I thought I’d have to worry about. For multiple reasons,” he added.

Wally snickered. “Yeah, dude, aren’t you a scientist? Shouldn’t you know better about STDs and stuff?”

“Oh, he better be about to tell me a condom broke,” Joe said, pointing to Barry with the finger of the hand holding his glass. “I did _not_ give the most awkward lesson in the history of parenting on safe sex to you and Iris for you to tell me anything else.”

Barry climbed over the back of the couch and sat down again, blushing. “I- um.” He crossed his legs beneath him and looked down at his lap. “There may have been a time or two… or several,” he added in a lower voice. “Where we didn’t, uh, use them?” He scratched at the back of his neck. “But in my defense,” he said suddenly. “I’m a metahuman, my immune system shouldn’t allow me to get any diseases, and Len was time traveling in a ship from the future and had all sorts of vaccines against STDs that we don’t have yet, and he had a clean bill of health, and nobody should’ve been able to get pregnant, so they weren’t entirely necessary,” he said in a rush. 

Joe sighed, shaking his head. “I went through showing your dumb ass how to put a condom on a piece of fruit and the extremely uncomfortable conversation that went along with it when you and Iris were fourteen for _nothing_ ,” he said dryly.

Wally shrugged. “Iris hasn’t ever had any babies, so really you’re hit and miss there,” he said, and Joe gave him a flat look.

“Boy, can’t you see I’m having a breakdown here?” he asked and Barry rolled his eyes.

“Look, Joe, I know it’s a lot to take in,” he said quickly. “But it’s something really good!” he stressed. “I was really panicked to start with, too, but it’s been more than a month now since I found out, and I’m really, really happy.” Barry was pretty sure his cheeks would start hurting soon over how over exaggerated his giant smile was.

Joe looked at him and Barry realized what he had said. “Over a month?” Joe asked slowly. Barry avoided his gaze and Joe shook his head. “Barry, you have known you were pregnant for over a month and you haven’t told me?”

Barry licked his lips. “Look, Joe, I just- we had just made up after the whole ‘Len’ fight, and I didn’t want to upset you again and make you angry at me. And the longer I waited, the harder it was to find an opening. I’ve got so much on my plate and I didn’t want to make you mad at me again,” he said quickly, eyes wide. “I mean…” He smiled and shrugged. “You’re sort of the only grandparent my baby is gonna have, so I really wanted to find a way to ease you into it, but it just got harder.”

“Wow, I’m so not old enough for that,” Joe groaned, sighing. “This is what I get for having a kid young,” he said, looking over at Wally. “Wait until your thirties to have kids,” he said seriously and Wally rolled his eyes. 

Barry bit his lip. “So… are you mad?” he asked and Joe snorted, shaking his head tiredly.

“I probably should be,” Joe said, looking over at him. “But you look so damn happy, it’s sort of hard to be upset at anything that makes my kid smile like that,” he confessed and Barry’s smile grew bright and huge so fast. 

Barry flashed to Joe’s position, halfway on the chair with him so he could hug him. “Thank you,” he gushed, pulling back. He had tears in his eyes and he stood up straight, looking between Joe and Wally. “I’m really, really happy,” he clarified with a wet laugh. “I mean, I know nobody seems to understand why, and even I know that I really probably shouldn’t be so happy about something so weird and unexpected, and everything is so scary and confusing right now, because there’s so much to try and work out about the future, but still… I’m gonna be a dad!”

Joe smiled up at him, shaking his head. “You’re like an excited puppy,” he teased. His smile softened and he nodded. “I know how exciting it is to be a dad, Barry, so I do get it.” Looking at Barry’s middle he chuckled. “I thought you were getting fat and didn’t wanna comment and hurt your feelings,” he admitted. “You don’t look pregnant, just fat.”

Barry put his hand on his belly with a warm smile. “It’s because I’m so tall. Caitlin found some doctors to sign to secrecy and the baby doctor, she says that tall women often don’t get very round until they’re crazy pregnant, they just get a little thicker.” He gasped, hand sliding to the left. “Oh, you can feel it on the outside!” he said excitedly. “C’mere, feel!” he said, grabbing Joe’s hand to drag to his belly.

Joe’s eyes widened as the baby kicked and he looked up. “Damn, Son. That really is a baby, huh?” Barry nodded excitedly and Joe’s eyes softened as he felt another thump against his hand. “That’s, that’s pretty amazing, Barry.” He shook his head. “I gotta be honest, Barry, I really never thought you’d be the one to give me a grandkid. And definitely not like this.”

“Whoa, can I feel?” Wally asked, and Barry nodded, walking over to grab Wally’s hand.

“It’s kicking right… here,” he said, pulling Wally’s hand to a spot on his belly. He watched Wally’s eyes widen and he smiled.

“Oh cool! I’ve never felt a baby kick before,” Wally said excitedly. “So cool!”

Barry sat with Joe and Wally, explaining everything to them in more detail now that Joe was lulled into a much calmer attitude by the Barry’s excitement and his weakness for being a dad who loved his kid being happy, and he was just explaining that they didn’t yet know how his powers changed his biology to give him the structures needed for a baby when Iris got there and, as soon as she came in, she squealed.

“BARRY! The baby?!” she asked and he ran over to hug her, laughing excitedly as they jumped in place out of sheer joy. Barry was so excited and he was happy Iris was just as excited as he was. She and Lisa both were positively gleeful at the prospect of being aunts.

“Still kicking,” he said, pulling her hand to his belly, and she squealed again, laughing delightedly as they both burst into frantic conversation and cooing over the baby. Barry glanced over once and saw Joe watching them, and he felt a lump in his throat as he saw the warmth and affection in Joe’s eyes. He knew he was so lucky that Joe loved him like a son, because he needed a parent in this situation, not just friends. 

~

Len was very annoyed.

He lay propped on one elbow, glaring down at Barry’s bare stomach, hand resting as widely as he could make it over Barry’s belly. “Listen here, you little brat,” he drawled. “This is not funny anymore. I’m your father, why are you already being difficult?”

Barry snickered, rolling his eyes. “I’m so sorry about this, but you have to admit, it’s hilarious.” 

Len pouted and narrowed his eyes at him. “It’s been a week, Barry. Everybody else has felt the brat kicking but me.” He leaned closer. “You there,” he said loudly beside Barry’s belly. “Kick for me, damn it.”

“Don’t yell at our baby,” Barry chastised playfully. “Maybe it’s sleeping. How would you like it if somebody started yelling at you while you slept?”

Len raised an eyebrow. “Maybe it’s sleeping _every time_ I’m around? Seriously?”

Barry shrugged, smiling up at him. “You do have a very soothing voice, so you never know.” He pushed his shirt back down and Len curled his hand instead around Barry’s hip, leaning over him so that their bodies were tucked together and he could look down into Barry’s eyes. Barry reached up and ran a hand over Len’s head. “You might put it to sleep with your smooth, sexy voice.” He grinned. “You’ll be the best at reading the baby to sleep when it’s born.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Len said with an eye roll, leaning in to kiss Barry sweetly. He lowered fully and lay his cheek on Barry’s chest, looking down at the swell of Barry’s middle as he hugged Barry close. He ran his hand across Barry’s middle over his shirt. “You’re a Snart already, aren’t you,” he said softly. “Contrary just for fun. It’s my own fault you won’t kick for me. Nothing like the thrill of doing something just to spite someone.” He gently stroked his thumb back and forth as he looked at the slope of Barry’s stomach under his hand. “It’s okay. I love you anyways.”

He felt Barry take a deeper breath and shifted to look up at him, only to see tears in Barry’s eyes. “Barry?” he asked curiously and Barry smiled and shook his head. 

“You told the baby you love it. You’ve never said that before,” he said, sniffling. “Sorry, I’m just really emotional with all the pregnancy hormones.”

Len smirked. “You’re always really emotional, Kid. You cry at everything always. Even before you got pregnant, you cried at everything. I once saw you tear up over a _car commercial_.” Barry rolled his eyes and blushed and Len closed his eyes, hugging Barry closer. “When do you stop working?” he asked, changing the subject.

Barry grumbled unhappily. “Captain Singh has me looking at his candidates for replacement. Next week is my last week. I’m going to be so bored without The Flash work or my actual job.” He stroked at the back of Len’s head, fingers sliding over his short, coarse hair. “My co-workers think I’m having cancer treatments. Caitlin and Cisco have started trying to handle some of the Flash stuff they don’t need superpowers for. I can go help them as long as they aren’t around chemicals bad for pregnancy. Otherwise, I’m going to have nothing to do.”

“You could help me plan a heist,” Len offered, and Barry smacked him on the back of the head.

“Don’t you even joke, Snart,” he warned. “If you get your ass put in jail while I’m pregnant with your baby, I will flash into Iron Heights just so I can _kill you_.” 

Len smiled, chuckling against Barry’s shirt. “Alright, alright. I’ll call off the bank job planned for next Tuesday.”

Barry groaned. “Really, really not funny.” After a moment’s silence, Barry spoke again. “What will you do?” he asked carefully. “I mean, I sort of hoped you would quit your criminal path due to the baby, but what else can you do? You don’t have a record, so technically you can get a job, but I can’t see you working at Jitters or something like that.”

Len had thought about that very topic before. He had pondered about what he could possibly even do. “Honestly, Barr, I’m not sure,” he admitted. He exhaled heavily. “I’m too old to get a GED at this point. I mean I _could_ , but what would be the point? Nobody hiring someone like me is going to check for a GED. I’m highly skilled, but I have no non-criminal reasons for that. I need to start looking around.” He rolled his eyes. “Maybe Cisco knows somebody looking for an electrical engineer without any formal education,” he said flatly. Len exhaled, rubbing a hand across the baby. “I don’t do regrets, Red, but there are things I wish were different. Our baby needs a home and two working parents, and right now, I can’t imagine a single job I’m qualified for.”

“We’ll find you something,” Barry said, kissing Len on the top of the head. 

“What are we doing to do about the future?” Len asked quietly. “I live in a one bedroom apartment, you live with your father. Neither of us have money to buy a house, or even just a bigger apartment.”

Barry rubbed at Len’s neck. “You seriously don’t have enough money to get a bigger apartment?” he asked suspiciously.

Len chuckled. “If you ever actually looked at the stuff I stole, you’d realize I don’t take that much. I’ve always done it for the thrill more than anything. Half of the jewels and art I stole I hung in a safe house or gave to my sister.” He gestured to his apartment. “I’ve got enough to keep this up. And I’m running low since I haven’t stolen anything in a while.”

“And I’m not going to make but half my normal salary while I’m on ‘medical’ leave,” Barry said, sighing. “I can cover my bills, but that definitely won’t lend to having money to find a home.” Len could feel the tension in Barry and he rubbed his belly soothingly once more.

“Don’t worry too hard, Barry. We’ll figure things out.” He smiled gently. “I’m sure Joe won’t kick you out just because you have a baby. It isn’t ideal, but we _can_ manage living how we are now and just work towards getting somewhere we can all live together. While the baby is still little, a bassinet won’t take up much space. I can fit one in here, and you can fit one in your room at Joe’s. That’ll work for a few months and we can figure things out from there.”

Barry made a grumpy sound, tightening his arms around Len. “It will be pretty lame for either of us to have to spend the night away from the baby because we can’t live together.”

“Eventually you’ll have to go back to being The Flash, so you’ll spend more nights than just that apart from the baby,” Len reminded him. He thought about the worry he would feel sitting at home with his and Barry’s baby while knowing Barry was out doing dangerous things as The Flash. Barry seemed to feel him grow still against his chest because he kissed the top of his head again. 

“We’ll figure it out,” Barry reassured, and Len nodded, opening his eyes to look back down at the swell of Barry’s belly beneath his hand.

~

Joe and Len hadn’t been face to face since Joe found out about the baby, but Joe wanted to come meet the doctors taking care of his grandbaby, and Len couldn’t fault him for that. He was a little terrified that he might still shoot him for getting his kid knocked up, though. As Len watched Joe talking to Dr. Shelley and Dr. Carlton while Barry sat on the table in his boxers and a tee-shirt that did nothing to hide the growing swell of his belly, his eyes kept straying to Barry’s belly and he really felt like he understood Joe’s dislike for him a lot better these days. His kid was only halfway done cooking and he already felt like he would take out anybody that so much looked like they were going to hurt Barry while their baby was inside of him.

“And you’re positive that both Barry and the baby are fine,” Joe stressed, and Dr. Carlton nodded.

Dr. Shelley came around from the computers with a folder. “They’re very healthy right now. And more importantly,” she said, holding up the folder. “I was able to determine the sex of the baby.” She offered the folder to Len, since he was closest. “You guys can decide whether you want to see, if you’d like.”

“Of course I want to see!” Barry said excitedly, hopping off the table to rush to Len’s side. “Gimme,” he said, snatching the folder from Len, who gave him an offended look.

“Oh? What if I wanted to do the honors?”

Barry grinned, leaning into his side. “Too slow,” he teased, opening the folder. He scanned it quickly and then positively beamed. “Oh my God!”

“What is it?” Cisco asked excitedly. “Girl? Boy? No, Girl,” he said quickly, only to pause. “Boy,” he decided, only to hum. “Or is it a girl.”

Joe raised an eyebrow at him. “Seriously?”

Len curled his arms around Barry, looking into his eyes. “Well, Red?” he asked, his stomach clenching in anticipation. He rested a hand on Barry’s middle, and he couldn’t hide how his other hand shook slightly on Barry’s side. 

Barry beamed, eyes crinkling around the edges absolutely beautifully. “What do you want it to be?” he asked teasingly and Len narrowed his eyes at him.

“Healthy,” he said flatly, and Barry giggled. “Now spill before I make you.”

Barry wrapped his arms around Len’s neck loosely, resting his forearms on either shoulder. “Well, Leonard,” he said with a playful smirk. “You and I will have to do a much better job naming our son than our parents did.”

“BOY! I was right!” Cisco cried behind the computer, arms going up in triumph. Caitlin squeaked and jumped a bit in excitement. Joe’s breath hitched audibly and he looked at Barry like he could barely believe the news because it somehow made it all very real. 

Len didn’t know what he had expected or how he had expected to handle the news, but he would’ve never guessed that his throat would close up as his chest swelled with happiness, nor would he have expected the burning in his eyes as tears filled them. He stared into Barry’s eyes in shocked silence for a moment before his lips finally obeyed him and moved again. “It’s a boy?” he asked, voice barely above a whisper.

Barry nodded, smiling so hard it had to hurt. “It’s a boy.” 

“Oh,” Len breathed, and he saw Barry’s smile soften in surprise as the first tear slipped free of Len’s eyelashes. Len didn’t know why it hit him so hard, because it wasn’t like he had particularly cared what the baby was, but for some reason, it suddenly felt so real. He could picture it so easily. Him and Barry and a little boy with freckles and green eyes holding hands on their way to the park. Barry and a little boy making a mess while helping Len cook breakfast. Teaching a little boy with Barry’s big, beautiful smile to tie his shoes and ride a bike and read. Watching Barry help him with his science project, and watching his son take a nap on Barry’s chest, and seeing Barry’s incredible joy as he, too, held their little boy. 

It wasn’t just ‘the baby’, it was their _son_. 

“Len?” Barry asked worriedly, and Len just sucked in a breath, smiling as a few more tears fell. 

Len pulled Barry closer, resting their foreheads together as he looked down at Barry’s belly, putting his hand on it. “We’re really having a son, Barry. Our baby boy,” he whispered. 

“Our baby boy,” Barry agreed with a wet laugh, curling his arms around Len’s neck to pull him into a proper hug. Len buried his face in Barry’s neck, moving his hands from his belly to go around him, hugging him tightly. Barry kissed his head, lips lingering as Len felt a tell-tale drop of a tear land just behind his ear. 

And then, against his own abs, he felt the tiniest little thump from where Barry’s belly touched his, almost as if their son was saying hello. 

~

On the ride home, Barry couldn’t stop smiling at how Len kept reaching over from the gear shift to put a hand on his belly and, when Barry looked at him, he was smiling faintly while he drove, as if just reminding himself his son was right there was making his day. They had borrowed Joe’s car so that they could go tell Iris before taking Barry back to work for his last evening shift before his leave started the following day. Barry wasn’t looking forward to being out of work, but he was looking forward to telling Iris and Wally, who were waiting for him at Joe’s house, all about the baby being a boy. 

Barry thought about how happy Joe had been. For all the mistrust he had for Len being a changed man, he didn’t shy away from congratulating him and he was absolutely ecstatic about Barry’s baby now that it was more real to him. Joe had totally cried after looking at the scans of the baby and hugging Barry. He was going to be a grandpa and he was almost as happy about it as Barry and Len were about being parents. 

Looking out the window, a thought struck Barry that he hadn’t had before and his throat tightened. “My dad once told me that one of the greatest wishes he had was that one day I would be a father so I could understand how much he loved me.” He closed his eyes against the glare of the sun as the lump in his throat swelled. “I really wish my dad was here,” he admitted in a weak whisper. 

Len’s hand went from his belly to lacing into his own hand. “Well I for one am really glad I killed my dad,” he said, and Barry snorted wetly. There was a time those words would’ve made him shudder, but now he just thought of how good it was Lewis Snart wasn’t around now. “Nothing makes me realize exactly how much of a monster my old man was quite like knowing what it feels like to have a baby on the way.” Barry looked over at Len and saw a smirk on his lips. “I was just thinking earlier that I understand Joe not liking me a lot better recently, because you’re his kid and I’ve hurt you in the past, and I was thinking about how my kid is still cooking and I would absolutely destroy anybody or anything that so much as thought about hurting you while you’re carrying my baby,” he said simply. “Hurting you at all would really set me off, but I could restrain myself, but not while hurting you could hurt my kid.” He chuckled dryly. “If I feel so strongly about my baby that I haven’t even met yet, I can only imagine how hard Joe has to fight from ripping my eyeballs out every time we’re in a room together after what I did to you back in the day.”

“That was in the past, Len. He’s got to get past that, especially since you aren’t going anywhere presumably,” Barry said, rubbing his thumb across Len’s knuckles soothingly. 

Len shrugged. “I think the baby is a good way to bridge the gap. He’s clearly excited to be a grandfather, and he has to realize how excited I am to be a father.” He shook his head in disgust and Barry frowned “Like I said, it’s so much more obvious how much of a monster Lewis Snart was. I cannot comprehend ever wanting to do any of the things that man did to me and Lisa to your child. You are barely showing, I felt our baby kick for the first time an hour ago, and yet I already know that I would murder anybody who did any of the stuff he did to us, and there’s no way I could ever hurt my child like he hurt us.” Barry watched Len’s lips go white with rage as he pressed them together, breathing through his nose. “I never feared I could be like him, because I raised Lisa like she was my child more than my sister for a while, and it wasn’t the same, but I still raised her without being like him, but now?” He snorted. “I know that I would go punch my sister in the face before I ever _imagined_ hurting my son, that’s how impossible it is for me to imagine ever wanting to hurt your kid.”

Barry’s lips twitched with slight amusement and he shook his head at Len. “I can’t imagine it, either. I have no experience with children, so I don’t have that understanding you do from Lisa, but I know that I love our son more than anything already, and I suddenly find it far more understandable why you killed him.” He narrowed his eyes playfully. “Still shouldn’t have done it, but knowing that you love Lisa in a way I couldn’t really imagine before now, I understand a little better.”

Len scoffed. “Oh, if I hadn’t killed him already, I’d be hunting him down now, damn the consequences.” He reached back out for Barry’s belly again. “If he were alive and found out I was having a child, he would use you and our baby as leverage sooner or later, and I would never risk it. This way, I won’t go to prison for murder while you’re pregnant.”

“You know,” Barry said, biting back a swell of shame mixed with a bit of amusement. “I really shouldn’t be so ‘whatever’ about you talking about willingness to commit premeditated murder, but I find that, when it’s about a potential threat to our son’s safety, I’m not that bothered,” he said with a little toss of his head.

“Exactly,” Len drawled, and Barry felt the moment the baby kicked the hand over his belly. He glanced over at Len, whose eyes were still on the road, but whose mouth was shaped into a beautiful, blinding smile. “Yeah, yeah, I wouldn’t let anybody hurt you, Son, you can count on that,” he said, rubbing a fingertip over the spot the baby was kicking against. 

Barry curled his hand over Len’s and leaned against the headrest, smiling across the car at Len. “I love you so much, Len” he said in an excited little whisper.

Len chuckled, glancing his way for a moment before looking back at the road. “I love you, too, Kid.”

~

Barry looked around his lab for anything left that was personal to tuck into the box at his side, and sighed. He was going to miss work. He was a scientist, and leaving his lab for a while was going to be a blow. He looked down at his belly, hidden by his baggy sweater, and smiled faintly as he placed a hand on it. “You’re worth it, though,” he whispered, because it was true. He his son was worth it, and he did not regret his choice to keep his baby for a second. Not being the Flash was hard, and not being CSI Barry Allen was also hard, but he was going to be a dad, which was the best job he would ever have. 

“Allen.” Barry turned around and smiled at Captain Singh, only to smile brighter when Felicity came following him.

“Oh my God, hey!” he said brightly.

Captain Singh nodded. “You had a visitor so I decided to walk her up and make sure you’re done packing up in here. Joe told me in no uncertain terms that I had to look after you or you’d start crying over your microscope,” he said with a surprisingly kind smile.

Barry nodded, lifting his box some. “Yep.”

Singh nodded. “Well, we’ll miss you around here.” He walked over and held out his hand, which Barry took to shake. “How long do you think it’ll be?” he asked. “I’d like to let the new guy know he’s got to find a new job when you come back.”

“Well,” Barry said, looking down at his belly. “At least seven months,” he said, looking up. “I’ll need a few months after to take care of… things,” he said, glancing over at Felicity.

“Oh,” Singh said, looking back at Felicity. “I’m so sorry, I just assumed she knew,” he said, and Felicity walked closer, frowning.

“Knew what?” she asked, and Singh took one look at Barry, who shook his head quickly.

“About Barry’s cancer,” Singh said quickly, and Barry panicked slightly at Felicity’s startled face. “Yep, he’s taking leave for treatment. He’ll be back, and you’re welcome back when you come back, Allen,” he said, patting him on the shoulder. “Also, Rob said to tell you he’s got a sister who will have tons of clothes if you need them,” he said with a pointed look. “Seriously, she had a little girl six months ago.”

Felicity held up a hand. “Whoa, whoa, whoa, Barry, you have _cancer_?!”

Barry grimaced. “I’ll explain it all very soon,” he reassured, then turned back to Singh. “And tell Rob I’m grateful, really. My friend’s going to have a boy,” he said slowly, and Singh grinned.

“Well you tell that ‘friend’ congratulations,” he said warmly.

Barry walked over to Felicity, who still looked stricken. “C’mon, walk with me. Let’s get to STAR Labs and I’ll explain everything,” he reassured.

“Good, I’ve got a car waiting, let’s go,” she said, tugging him along by the arm not holding his box of things. “And I really expect a full freaking story, Barry Allen, oh my God.”

~

Barry walked into STAR Labs, dragged by Felicity, and flushed some when he saw Oliver talking to the others as they walked in. “Oh crap, Oliver,” he said, then fixed on a panicked smile. “Uh, heeeeyyyy,” he said slowly, looking at Caitlin, who looked equally panicked, and Cisco, who had, of course, actually found a bucket of popcorn somewhere. 

“Oliver, Barry has to tell us why he didn’t bother letting us know he _has cancer_!” Felicity said with a huff as she let go of Barry and stomped over to stand beside Oliver.

Oliver looked over at him, eyes wide. “What? Cancer?”

“No, no, I don’t,” Barry said quickly. “I lied, that’s the cover, I’ve got to take medical leave so my boss let me claim it’s cancer.”

Cisco spluttered, choking on a piece of popcorn. “Whoa, wait, _Singh_ knows?”

Caitlin made a face, looking at him. “Barry told us that a while ago,” she said, and Cisco frowned.

“Did he? Huh.” He shrugged, grabbing another piece of popcorn to toss into his mouth. “Get to the good part where Mayor Queen decides to go all Rambo on a certain somebody’s old ass,” he urged, wiggling his eyebrows gleefully.

Barry cleared his throat, turning to Felicity and Oliver. “I- uh- I-“ He bit his lip and nodded. “Okay,” he said, voice cracking. “I need you to promise not to freak out, and to remember that you love me?”

Oliver’s face fell into his ‘Arrow’ mask. “What did you do.” He said it as if it wasn’t even a question, but a statement.

Barry flashed to change out of his baggy shirt and jacket and into his STAR labs sweatshirt, coming back over with his belly clearly visible. “So, I don’t have cancer, I’m- I’m having a baby,” he said, hand on his middle. He wasn’t very round yet, not at all, but he was visibly curved outward rather than his usually flat, tight abs. 

Felicity’s eyes looked like they would bug out of her skull and Oliver just looked at his belly with that same blank, flat expression. “I’m sorry, but did you just say _baby_?” Oliver asked suspiciously.

Barry nodded quickly, smiling brightly as he put both hands on his belly, flattening his sweatshirt out more. “Yep. A boy.” He hugged his belly. “I don’t have cancer, I’ve got a weird metahuman body and I got pregnant and now I’m having a baby boy.” He smiled as he looked at Felicity. “Five months along. I was already three when I found out.”

After a moment of stunned silence, Felicity seemed to finally snap out of it. “Oh my GOD!” She squealed and ran over to hug him. “This is totally weird and gross to think about, but you’re having a BABY!” she squealed, jumping up and down. “Oh so that’s why you look so pretty and glowy!” she gushed. “Oh man, oh man, oh man, a baby!” 

Barry beamed. “Yeah, we’re super excited,” he said, jumping with her. “I’m just getting visibly pregnant so I had to take medical leave, so Captain Singh suggested the cancer thing.” He waved a hand. “Also that way I get medical leave pension, which I really need, because I still need to pay my bills without tapping into savings that are going towards finding a way to afford a house or something.”

“Oh, aren’t you still living with Joe? Yeah,” Felicity said. “You should get your own place-“

“Who is _we_ ,” Oliver asked suspiciously, and Barry and Felicity both looked over at him. Felicity looked at Oliver, then turned to Barry.

“Oh yeah, who is ‘we’?” she asked curiously. “I didn’t know you were seeing anybody, nonetheless a male somebody- I assume he’s a he,” she said quickly, narrowing her eyes. “This isn’t some seahorse situation is it?”

Barry cleared his throat. “Well, that’s- that- uh, it’s a funny story,” he said quickly, hands tightening in his sweater over his belly. “I…” He trailed off and the shut his eyes as he blurted out, “I’m having Leonard Snart’s baby, Captain Cold is my boyfriend, we’ve been together about nine months now, REMEMBER I’M PREGNANT!” he said, hands over his belly as he backed up slowly. When he opened his eyes, he saw the shocked look on Felicity’s face and the furious one on Oliver’s.

“You let one of your _super villains_ get you _pregnant_?!” he asked angrily. “Barry, that is pretty much Vigilante 101, you DO NOT get involved with your villains, and definitely you don’t reproduce with them!”

“Whoomp, there it is!” Cisco said loudly, cackling at the scene before him.

Barry rolled his eyes. “Oliver, I’m not stupid, it’s not like that-“

“Captain Cold is a really bad guy, last I remember, Barry, so that seems-“

“He’s not a bad guy!” Barry defended. “He always had it in him, and he changed a lot-“

“They never change, Barry, that’s just stupid-“

“He is very much changed, thank you, and you’re talking about the father of my child-“

“And the father of your child murdered his own father-“

“His father was a very bad man-“

“Your baby’s father is a very bad man-“

Clearly, Barry and Oliver’s argument like a tennis match was a pattern Cisco, Caitlin, and Felicity quickly got used to, because they all yelped in surprise when Barry broke that volley and _slammed_ Oliver against the railing in front of the computers, bending him halfway backwards, anger in his features. “DON’T YOU DARE COMPARE HIM TO HIS FATHER!” Barry shouted, clearly enraged. The lightening of the speed force crackled in his eyes as he held Oliver tightly by the shirt. “Len’s father was a very bad man, he was a _monster_ , and even at his worst, Len has never even been capable of the type of evil that man was capable of, and I will not let you compare the father of my child to the man who tortured his own children when they were little and put a bomb in his daughter’s head as an adult just to ruin his son’s sense of safety as an adult as well,” he spat. “Len may have murdered his father, but his father would’ve come after our baby without a shadow of a doubt if he was alive now, so I really have trouble caring these days. Leonard Snart is _nothing_ like his father. Len is a good father, and I will not stand here and listen to you compare him to that piece of shit.”

There was silence for a long while before Oliver nodded slowly, pushing Barry away gently as he stood straight. “Clearly, there is information we don’t all know about Captain Cold,” he said carefully. He straightened his jacket, looking into Barry’s eyes without backing down. “And the only reason I’m going to pretend you didn’t just slam me around like that is because you’re pregnant and I don’t have it in me to punch someone with a baby inside of them.”

“Uh, yes, please do not injure the person with a high-risk pregnancy!” Caitlin said quickly. “Barry, calm down, too much stress is bad for the baby,” she reminded him. 

“Bartholomew Allen, why do I hear Caitlin telling you to calm down and not stress out our child?” a voice called from the hallway, and Barry glared hard at Oliver before turning around just in time to see Len coming around the corner. “I get off the elevator and hear something about your high-risk pregnancy and then you having too much stress-“ Len stopped short, tilting his head as his eyes landed on Oliver and Felicity. “Barry… why is the mayor of Star City standing in the lab?” he asked slowly. 

Cisco snickered. “Because he’s the Green Arrow, Man!”

“Cisco,” Oliver groaned in frustration. “Do you have an off switch? You cannot just tell every super villain to walk into the lab that I’m the Green Arrow!”

Cisco frowned. “Wait, Cold didn’t know?” he asked, glancing over at Len, who was slowly making his way towards Barry, eyeing Oliver carefully. 

Barry rolled his eyes. “We don’t just tell each other everything, Cisco. We have an understanding about Len’s friends and my friends. Just because he stopped planning heists and pulling off bank robberies doesn’t mean his friends aren’t all still criminals. It’s best for everybody if we agree to keep the thief and vigilante parts of our lives separate from our relationship.”

Cisco made a face. “Well that’s dumb,” he said bluntly. “Anyways, Len, meet Oliver, Oliver, meet Barry’s baby daddy.” 

“I’ve told you not to call me that,” Len drawled threateningly, glaring over at Cisco. He turned back to Oliver and Felicity, who were both looking at him searchingly. He smirked, narrowing his eyes some. “Leonard Snart,” he introduced. “Lovely to meet you Mr. Queen. Ms. Smoak,” he said, nodding to Felicity. “Clearly I missed something while I was dead, because last I knew of you, you were paralyzed. Good to see you on your feet again.”

Felicity blinked. “Wow, yep, you did miss some things. Also, I’m sorry, did you say _dead_?”

“Didn’t stick,” Len said dismissively. 

Felicity chuckled nervously. “Yeah, clearly.” She looked between him and Barry. “So…” She nodded awkwardly. “I totally get why you let him get you pregnant,” she said with a swing of her hands, only to blush. “NO- I mean- I just-“ She gritted her teeth. “I just mean I don’t blame you for having sex with somebody so hot- CRAP!” she said, slapping a hand over her mouth. “I’m going to go shut up now. Over there. In the other room,” she said, and Barry couldn’t help but laugh when she strutted away, berating herself under her breath. 

Len smirked in amusement. “Charming friends you have, Kid,” he said, and Barry grinned. “So, Mr. Queen, what are you visiting Barry for?” he asked, sliding a possessive arm around Barry’s waist. “Hopefully not for the Flash’s help.”

Oliver forced a smile. “Well, it was, actually, but under these circumstances, I think we can just borrow Cisco and Caitlin’s help for now. And your brain, Barry,” he added. “Even without a fighting partner, you’re still really smart like Felicity, so you can be useful.”

Barry’s smile slipped and he felt a pang of sadness at the thought that he wasn’t ‘useful’ to Oliver without his ability to help in a fight, or that he had to be ‘useful’ at all. Friends shouldn’t have to be useful to anybody. Len clearly picked up on that, because he pulled him more closely into his side. “I would like to think Barry’s doing something far more useful than fighting someone with you, Queen, in growing an entire human being inside of him, so he’s got a lot more important ‘usefulness’ he’s fulfilling right now.” He gave him a very critical look. “I would think a friend of Barry’s would recognize that he is more than just The Flash.”

“Of course he is,” Caitlin agreed, giving Oliver a stern look. “I’m sure Oliver cares about his friend far more than he does The Flash.” Barry’s insides felt warm at the threat he saw very clear in her eyes. 

Cisco nodded. “Yeah, man, your sexy arms isn’t all Barry likes about you, so you better like more about Barry than just his speed.” He held up a finger. “Also, really good side effect of Barry getting a boyfriend, no more hearing him talk about how hot you look in your outfit-“

“Cisco!” Barry hissed, eyes widening in horror, and Oliver just rolled his eyes skywards as if pleading for another bolt of lightning to manifest and take him out of his misery. 

Len just hummed at his side, looking Oliver over. “Too bulky,” he decided. “I like my men lean and naturally muscled, not sporting the dumb jock look,” he said to Barry with a wink to show he was teasing.

Barry just rolled his eyes. “You admire a good runners’ body, huh,” he played along, turning to curl his arms around Len’s waist as he stood at his side. 

“Exactly,” Len purred, leaning in to kiss the side of Barry’s head. “Especially ones with thick, soft hair and big, green eyes. And pregnant, love them pregnant,” he said slowly and Barry smirked.

“Funny, I know a guy exactly like that,” he replied playfully, wiggling his eyebrows.

Len hummed, leaning closer. “Ya know, I do, too.” He met Barry’s lips in a sweet, chaste kiss. Barry smiled as the kiss broke and Len reached down to rub at his belly with great affection in his eyes as he looked into Barry’s. 

Oliver made a sound and Cisco nodded seriously. “They’re like this all the time. The excitement of having a baby hasn’t worn off in the slightest.”

Barry just laughed, tugging Len into movement. “Whatever, you two help Oliver, Len and I are going to talk to Felicity, she’ll be excited about the baby with us.”

~

Len still didn’t feel comfortable having the Green Arrow in the lab. He knew his reputation. He wasn’t like The Flash, he was a killer. Maybe he would have more in common with Oliver than he had Barry in that respect, but having him around while Barry was pregnant made him uncomfortable. Barry seemed to trust him explicitly, but Len could only think about what some people would do to get what they wanted and how that might put his baby in danger.

It didn’t help that Barry seemed particularly emotional tonight. He was going up and down like crazy, and Len knew it was just hormones and excitement, but it made him worried. He did not want Barry to snap on Oliver again and have Oliver react on instinct. If he so much as took a swing at Barry, Len wouldn’t let him leave the building under his own steam, that was for sure. Barry wasn’t the only one that had a hair-trigger when it came to their baby.

“I cannot believe you’re having a _baby_ ,” Felicity gushed. “And you! You’re so young! At least John and Lyla were older than we are,” she said with a shake of her head.

Barry’s smile slipped a little as he chuckled. “What do you mean?” he asked, and Len could see his attitude shifting in his face. “Are you saying I’m too young?”

“No,” Felicity said quickly. “I mean, my mom had me in her early twenties, not that you’re early twenties, it’s just all the people I know with kids were in their thirties.”

“Joe was younger than me when Iris was born,” Barry said with a bit of challenge in his eyes. “And Joe’s a great dad.”

Felicity shook her head. “No, I’m sure he is,” she said quickly. “I swear, I didn’t mean that you won’t be a good dad,” she said, beaming. “I’m sure you’ll be an amazing dad.”

Len smiled in agreement, holding Barry’s hand on his lap where he sat beside him. “Besides, what you lack in age I more than make up for, Kid. We’ve got our bases covered.”

“It’s still really surprising to me you guys ever got together,” Felicity said with a warm look. “You guys are like a fairy tale, you know? The supposedly dead villain comes back and is actually a good guy. Very Princess Bride, actually,” she said. “It’s amazing you guys were able to put aside your differences and just be happy. I know I couldn’t do it,” she finished, chuckling. “You guys have been through a lot and made it through.” She put a hand on her chest. “I know I would have to draw the line at patricide,” she joked, and Len admired her bravery to joke about that. Len really found that he liked Felicity Smoak. She reminded him a lot of Barry.

He looked at Barry to see his reaction, but Barry’s demeanor had shifted and Len’s smile dropped when he saw the vicious look in Barry’s eye. He knew before Barry spoke he was going to regret whatever he said. The hormones weren’t taking it easy on Barry at all today. “Well of course you wouldn’t, you wouldn’t know what it’s like to try and understand another person’s point of view in a relationship, now would you?” he asked in a flat tone that was full of snark. 

Felicity’s laugh died in her throat and her smile grew more tight and uncomfortable. “I’m sorry, _what_ was that?” she asked with her fading smile still on her lips. 

Barry sneered. “You would’ve never given him a chance after the patricide, because you can’t even handle supporting a guy dealing with the stress of being a vigilante, of course you couldn’t handle the stress of supporting a guy who faced what Len did and ended up killing his own dad over it.”

Len’s gut clenched. “Barry-“ 

He tried to stop Barry, but Felicity’s eyes grew wide in shock and the last vestige of her smile slipped away. “Excuse me, but are you seriously going there?” Felicity demanded in an icy tone. “You don’t know anything about Oliver and me-“

“I know that you gave up on him,” Barry argued. “When he needed you the most, you decided you just couldn’t handle it anymore, even though you pushed him to be with you in the first place when he was trying to protect you by staying away.”

Felicity’s eyes grew wider. “Barry, you do not get to dig all of this up-“

“You don’t get to judge me for dating a villain when you were too selfish and self-centered to even consider Oliver’s side of things before deciding you wanted to not marry him and not even be with him, but still stay in his life every single day and remind him what it’s like to be in love with someone who didn’t want you,” Barry barreled on. “I can overlook Len’s past because I am able to look at things from his point of view, not just my own, and you should have tried that before running out for no fucking reason after sticking through him through so much and then when he finally doesn’t fight it anymore and gets used to the thought of a future, you just bail-“

“Barry!” Len said, quickly tugging on his hand. “Barry, what’s going on with you?” he asked sternly. “You can’t say such horrible things to your friend.” He reached out, rubbing Barry’s belly. “Barry, you’re going to say something you regret. It’s just hormones, okay? You’ve had a stressful day, and an overexciting day, and you need to stop before you say something you can’t take back.” He turned to Felicity. “Ms. Smoak, I’m so, so sorry. I don’t know what all that was about, but it’s just the pregnancy hormones, I promise. He had no right to say those things, but he’s just-“

“Thinking them without saying them the rest of the time,” Felicity said tightly, voice a little wet and weak. “Yeah, those hormones are a bitch when they make him say what he had been thinking for a long time now.” Felicity stood up, heels clacking as she did. “I’m going to talk to the others. I suggest getting him home before he can go off on anybody else and say things he didn’t mean to share before.”

Barry paled, looking down at his lap. “I’m- I’m sorry, Felicity-“

“Yeah, don’t bother, Barry,” she said on her way out the door. 

Len looked at Barry, who looked startled at his own outburst. “ _Shit_ ,” Barry said, and Len sighed, pulling Barry into a hug. “Oh my God, I can’t believe I said that.”

“Yeah, well, you did,” Len said, kissing his hair. “It’s okay. It’s the stress, Barr. You’ll be okay.”

Barry sniffled and Len grimaced at the realization that he was about to start crying. “Oh my God, I’m a terrible friend! Why did I say that to her?”

Len held Barry, rubbing his back in soothing strokes. “Because you are very defensive of our relationship,” he said with a sad smile, though Barry couldn’t see it. Barry shivered a bit and Len held him closer. “I’m grateful that you care about me so much, Barry, but you have to admit, she’s right. It’s amazing we can do this. There’s no reason we should’ve been anything but enemies. Maybe in the future, don’t go off on your friends because they said the honest truth,” he murmured as he kissed Barry’s temple. “Pregnancy hormones and stress are a bad combination on you.”

Barry whimpered, slumping against his chest. “I’m a terrible friend.” He hesitated then lifted his head with that vicious gleam still in his eyes. “It is true, though, she did a really shitty thing to Oliver.”

Len chuckled, shaking his head. “I’m sure she did, Scarlet, but it’s still rude to tell her about it.” He ruffled Barry’s hair. “Come on. Let me take you home. I borrowed Lisa’s car-“

“Her latest _stolen_ car?” Barry asked with a challenging look, and Len smirked slowly. Barry couldn’t ever just let it lie when it came to their thieving ways. 

“Yep, sure is,” he said plainly. “Now, let’s get out of here before you run into Oliver and start panting over his muscles because of a whole different sort of hormones.”

Barry snickered, rolling his eyes. “What, it’s not like I’m some sex-crazed monster,” he defended.

Len raised an eyebrow at him. “Who was it that had to get you off _four times_ before you actually stopped being blindingly horny last night?” he asked and Barry blushed, ducking his head.

“When you say it like that, I sound like a slut,” he said and Len chuckled, kissing his cheek.

“It’s okay, I like you a little slutty. I thoroughly enjoy being the one tasked with providing to your sexual needs,” he purred, making Barry flush a little redder.

Barry shoved him away slightly. “Stop talking like that or you’re going to turn me on,” he complained and Len just grinned, sliding his arms around Barry to stop him and just hold him for a moment. Barry relaxed into his hold, laying his head on Len’s shoulder, and Len closed his eyes, holding him tight. 

Holding Barry in his arms was always a good reminder that Len could and had made it. This was his life now. This was his future. The most important things, apart from his sister, in his entire world were right there, in his arms. Barry might not be having a very good day, but it was up to Len to try and smooth it over for him. He could still provide comfort for Barry even if he couldn’t undo the hurtful things Barry said to his friend and immediately regretted. Len had never thought he would get to be the person he was now, the man he was now, and he owed it all to Barry. 

When they walked through the lab, Barry looked towards Felicity with big, wide eyes full of apology. “I’m really, really sorry, Felicity,” he said earnestly, and Len put a hand on his back comfortingly. “I know that’s not an excuse, but I really hope you guys are staying tonight in the city,” he said, looking at Oliver as well. “I’d love to get coffee in the morning and talk and try to make up for my hormones making me into a bitchy pregnant person,” he said and Oliver raised an eyebrow at him.

“Oh? What did you say to her?” he asked almost warningly, and Felicity avoided his gaze, turning big, hurt eyes of her own on Barry. She looked at him for a minute and nodded curtly.

“We can get coffee in the morning,” she said tightly, turning back to Cisco’s computer without another word. Barry smiled sadly at Oliver with a wave and Len went to grab his jacket for him so that they could go.

Barry was quiet in the car the whole way home.

~

Barry felt like a massive jerk all morning as he flashed through getting ready to go meet Felicity and Oliver at Jitters. Joe drove him and he spent the whole ride trying to think of how he was going to apologize to Felicity properly without Oliver finding out all the things he said. He had been internalizing those thoughts ever since Oliver and Felicity broke up. He knew it was wrong to say them to her but it didn’t mean he didn’t think it. Not so harshly, he rationalized, but he did think them. It was no excuse for how he acted, though. Everything Felicity said about him and Len was true, but his stress levels were so high last night and what they said about ‘pregnant brain’ was true. 

It didn’t help that now that he was truly happy, now that he was actually able to be in love with someone who knew every part of him and who he didn’t have to hide anything from, he felt like he appreciated how terrible what Felicity did by breaking up with Oliver really was. Add that he also knew from experience what loving someone you had to look in the eyes every single day was like, and Barry couldn’t help but sympathize with him.

However, it was Felicity’s life and her choice and it was wrong of him to say such shitty things to her when it was none of his damn business. 

When Barry got to Jitters, Felicity and Oliver were both already waiting for him. He ordered coffee and went to sit across from them with a sheepish smile. “Sooo, hey,” he said nervously. 

Felicity gave him a small smile. “Good morning, Barry.”

“I’m a dick,” he said bluntly, and Oliver snorted, ducking his head to hide his giggles. “I’m definitely a dick, Felicity, and I’m sorry. Pregnancy sucks in a lot of ways, but being overemotional and having no brain to mouth filter is a new one that is really, really bad.” He ducked his head in shame. “Two days ago, I told Iris her butt was getting fatter because I couldn’t stop myself from voicing my thoughts… and this morning I told Len what I wanted to do to him over the phone while sitting at the table with Joe while he read the paper.”

Oliver actually laughed out loud at that one. “Oh God, Barry.”

Felicity chuckled darkly. “I’ll consider those payback for being a jerk,” she said, then sighed, shaking her head. “Can we just say we’re even? I was pretty insensitive about what I said about Len.”

“Oh,” Oliver said, turning to look at Felicity. “Are we now calling Captain Cold ‘Len’?”

Felicity rolled her eyes. “Because Barry’s having his baby.”

“And that absolves him from bad things?” Oliver asked, and Barry groaned, rolling his eyes so hard that he had to roll his head around and look at the ceiling. “What, Barry?” he asked incredulously. “He’s a _bank robber_. He doesn’t get a pass for knocking somebody up.”

“Do you have to talk that about my boyfriend? At least when he knocked me up, I didn’t run out and move to another city without telling hi- Nnnnngh,” Barry groaned, biting down on his fist. He didn’t even have to glance at Oliver and Felicity’s faces to know what he had just done. He slammed his face down onto the table and whimpered.

“Barry-“

Barry shook his head, already hearing the anger in Felicity’s tone. “I’m gonna go, okay?” He lifted his head, sliding off the chair. “Come visit again when I have this baby and stop being absolutely hot-headed and having no filter. I love you both, but I’ve gotta get out of here. Have a good trip home. Bye,” he said, waving at them before running out.

He left without even getting his drink but he couldn’t find it in him to worry.

~

“Kill me!” Barry whined as he flopped onto the couch beside Wally.

“Bad morning?” Wally asked, and Barry gave him a wide-eyed pout. 

“Pregnancy sucks. I have no brain to mouth filter. Why is this happening? I won’t have any friends left after this.” He looked down, putting his hands on his belly. “Look, Son, I love you, but this is insane.”

Wally laughed. “It’s funny how much you’re already channeling Dad. You call the baby ‘Son’ like he does you.”

Barry sighed, rubbing his belly. “I’m going crazy. Maybe you should leave me here alone before I say something terrible to you, too.”

Wally just smiled and reached out to pat his shoulder. “It’s alright, man. I’ll understand.”

Barry leaned over, laying his head on Wally’s shoulder with a sigh. “You’re totally my favorite right now.” Wally just laughed and handed Barry the remote with a smile.

“You earned this right now,” he said, and Barry took it with a grateful glance his way.

~

Barry was more beautiful now than Len ever remembered him being. 

His hair was even thicker, somehow, and his skin was so smooth. He looked so healthy, and so happy, and even his eyes seemed brighter. Len’s fingertips skated along his chest, tapping each freckle and spot he came across – there were a few – as he looked down at Barry, who lay beside him, smiling up at him in the early morning light. “What are you even doing?” Barry asked, looking down at Len’s fingers tracing along his skin. “Are you counting my moles?”

“You have fifty-four spots on your front, eighty-seven on your back, twenty-one on your face, seventeen on your neck and throat, and five on your ass,” Len said plainly. “I haven’t counted on your arms and legs, but if I had to estimate, I would say around twenty on your legs and about fifteen on each arm. You also have three on your earlobes.” He smirked at the flat look Barry gave him. “So approximately two hundred and thirty-five moles and large freckles on your body. It’s one of my favorite things about you. You’re adorably freckled.”

Barry huffed. “Yeah, well, you have… some freckles and at least two moles,” he said stiltedly. Len smirked and he rolled his eyes. “I hate you so much, it’s not my fault you have an eidetic memory and I don’t,” he defended. “You’re lucky I remember which guy is my boyfriend these days. Your child is making me crazy.”

“Good job,” Len murmured encouragingly as he reached for Barry’s belly, his smile growing wider and far more sincere as he felt the baby roll around inside of Barry. “He’s turning flips.”

“Yeah, he does that,” Barry said fondly, reaching down to let a hand of his own join Len’s. “He’s always more active after we have sex,” he said, and Len chuckled when Barry made a face at that. “File that under ‘reasons to be glad we don’t remember anything from the womb’.”

“Yeah, well, it’s getting a lot more difficult with him growing,” Len said playfully. “You trying to fuck me was adorable,” he cooed and Barry flushed and glared. It had been more hilarious than anything that Barry absolutely couldn’t see past his belly anymore and therefore, couldn’t actually line up to slide into Len. And with his belly getting in the way, no position they tried made it easier for Barry to move. He was still relatively small compared to some pregnant women Len had seen before, but it was starting to actually change the way Barry carried himself. Being so tall and gangly, his center of gravity shifted pretty early. Barry wasn’t even at the third trimester mark and the baby was already giving him issues. Len could only imagine how he’d be when he was actually, properly huge. It had taken them ten different positions before Barry could finally fuck Len (they settled on Barry sitting back on his heels and Len kneeling in front of him to ride him while leaning forward at an angle) and by the time they finished, even Barry was exhausted. 

Their morning had been eventful, to say the least. Now, lying in bed just lazing around an hour later, it was inescapable how beautifully pregnant Barry was. 

“I’m starting to get food cravings,” Barry said out of nowhere. He tangled his fingers with Len’s on his belly. “Yesterday morning, I had to get up and cook spaghetti for breakfast because I just really wanted some. And right now I would kill for chicken wings.”

Len snorted. “Chicken wings? Really?”

Barry turned to him, nodding very seriously. “Chicken wings.”

Len rolled fully onto his belly, leaning in to kiss Barry sweetly. “Is that a hint for me to be a good father and go get food for my poor, pregnant boyfriend?” he murmured against his lips, and Barry grinned deviously and nodded very seriously.

“Yep, sure is.” He wiggled his eyebrows at him. “Your son demands chicken wings. I am just his vessel for the time being.”

Len scrunched up his nose. “You’re such a dork, Kid,” he said, but kissed him once more. “Alright, alright.” He pushed himself up and turned to lean in and press his lips to the swell of Barry’s belly, rubbing a hand across it reverently. “Anything for you two.” He looked back up at Barry’s face and grinned when he saw the sappy look in his eyes. “After all, you are my family, and I do anything for my family,” he said in a playful tone but with enough sincerity in his eyes that Barry’s smile widened just a fraction more. “Including chicken wing runs,” he said distastefully as he rolled off of the bed and started getting dressed.

“Hey, it’s better than creepily counting my spots,” Barry said bluntly, making Len laugh in surprise at his attitude.

“You’re sassy today, Scarlet.” He winked. “I like it.” He pulled his shirt on and went over to kiss Barry one more time before stepping into his boots and heading for the door. “I’ll be back shortly.”

“I’ll be waiting here, starving to death!” Barry cried dramatically, flopping back to pretend to be dead.

Len laughed on his way out of the door, shaking his head as he headed across the apartment from the bedroom to the front door. He was so in love with that massive nerd and he found himself entirely unbothered by that.

~

Barry was pretty sure pregnancy hormones made _everything_ more intense, because he couldn’t ever remember being so into a basketball game before. When he had invited Len over to join them watching the Miners play the Knicks, he hadn’t expected he would end up jumping out of his seat and shouting at the TV even more than Wally did. “COME ON, THAT WAS A FOUL!” he shouted, groaning dramatically as he fell back into his seat at Len’s side.

Len snickered, reaching out to rub his belly, inside of which their baby was dancing around with the same excitement Barry had. “All this yelling probably has him terrified,” Len chastised playfully. “You should all be ashamed.”

“Barry’s always loved basketball,” Iris defended. “He’s just more excitable with all the hormones,” she added. “When we were thirteen, Barry decided he wanted to be a basketball player when he grew up.”

Wally looked at Barry doubtfully. “You wanted to play basketball,” he said suspiciously and Barry grinned.

“There is a very big difference in ‘wanted to’ and ‘was good’,” he reminded him. “When I was thirteen I was the short kid. I was shorter than Iris. We played basketball in the driveway with Joe and I lost just as often as I did when Joe tried to teach me to box. Iris was the athletic one, not me.”

Len looked at him curiously. “You were short?” he asked, and Joe chuckled.

“Oh yeah, Barry was short right up until he was about sixteen. It’s like he grew six inches overnight. He went from short and skinny to tall and gangly in about three months,” he said. He nodded to Len. “You’re about the same height as he is, so you two are gonna have a tall, skinny kid, that’s for sure,” he said, and Barry rolled his eyes. 

“Tall didn’t magically help me become more athletic, though,” he said sadly. “I went to reptile camp, not basketball camp.” Len gave him a mocking pout and Barry just shook his head with a teasing sigh. “In the end, I was just too damn white. The whole ‘white men can’t jump’ thing isn’t just a stereotype, it’s a fact in my case.” He snickered. “It took superpowers to make it so I could run without waddling.” 

Len grinned at him, hand still on his belly. “It’s still hilarious that you are the whitest person I’ve ever met in every sense of the word and yet I’m the one that grew up surrounded by white people.”

“Having a black dad and sister definitely made high school interesting for me,” Barry joked and Iris snickered.

“White Shadow,” she said lowly, and Barry groaned.

“Oh God, you haven’t called me that in years,” he complained.

Len made a face. “How do you even know what that is? Neither of you were born when that show was on TV,” he said, then slowly frowned. “God, I’m old,” he added suddenly.

“We know,” Joe said in a halfway-threatening tone. “I’m only a few years older than my grandson’s father. Do you know how Jerry Springer that is for me?” he demanded.

“Oh yeah? I’m old enough to be my own kid’s grandfather, you think _I’m_ okay with that?” he countered. “Your kid shouldn’t have let me think he was older than he is.”

Barry scoffed. “You shouldn’t look so damn young! You thought I was like four years older than I really am, I thought you were a decade younger than you are,” he said simply.

Len rolled his eyes but smiled when Barry grinned at him. “You’re such a brat, Red.”

“Love you, too, Cold,” he said, leaning into his side momentarily, only to get distracted by the game and jump to his feet again with a shout of, “ARE YOU BLIND?! THAT WAS TRAVELING!”

With a shake of his head, Len settled back on the couch and watched Barry going red in the face as he got into the game with Joe and Iris, both of whom were also shouting at the TV while Wally laughed at them. 

~

“I have a brilliant idea!” Barry declared loudly as he came into the lab from running on the treadmill. “I think this may be my- oops!” Barry reached out, trying to catch the orange soda before it could fall, but the bottle bounced onto the floor and rolled under the desk.

Cisco rolled his eyes, hands up. “Barry!” He picked up his bottle and set it on the desk aggressively. “You have to look where you’re going,” he complained. “You’re going to break something important with your giant belly one of these days.”

Barry put his hands on his hips and glared. “I’m _eight_ months pregnant, Cisco. I can’t help it!” He flapped a hand, flopping into the rolling chair beside Cisco. “Anyways, back to my amazing idea!” he said excitedly. He grabbed the power bar on tabletop. “So, you remember how we wiped Len’s records?”

“Yeaaaahhh?” Cisco asked, narrowing his eyes slowly. “What about it?”

“Is it possible to create believable fake records of him?” he asked. “Maybe not as Leonard Snart, some other last name, but we could build him a background. Then he can actually get a job like a normal person and we can actually afford this baby.”

Cisco frowned for a moment and then hummed and tilted his head. “That could actually be pretty fun. What sort of background are we talking about?”

Barry shrugged. “High School education would be good for a start.”

“Cold didn’t go to high school?” Cisco asked in surprise. “But he’s a pretty brainy guy.”

“Autodidact is the word you’re looking for, Cisco.” Barry’s chest warmed at the sound of Len’s voice and he turned to see him come around the corner with a sassy little twist on his heels. He smiled even wider when he saw Lisa with him. Len walked over and immediately leaned in to kiss Barry and rub his belly. “Why are you telling Cisco about my lack of education?” he asked curiously. 

“I didn’t go to school either,” Lisa said, coming to hop onto the table right in front of Cisco. “Not as smart as Lenny, but we all have our strengths,” she said with a wink.

Barry laced his fingers with Len’s, smiling as he leaned on the table beside his sister. “I had the best idea ever! We can build a fake online history for you, a totally false background, so that you can get a job and actually afford our baby.”

“Yeah, we were thinking different names,” Cisco said, looking at Len curiously. “How do you feel about last names?”

“I’m not attached to mine, not really,” Len said dismissively. “My mother’s maiden name could be wonderfully fitting if you don’t think that’s too close to my real identity.”

Lisa hummed thoughtfully, snagging one of the Twizzlers out of the pack on the table. “I don’t know your mother’s maiden name,” she said, and Len smirked, holding her gaze.

“Wynters,” he said slowly and she cackled, nearly dropping the Twizzler again.

Barry just gaped. “Shut up, that cannot be your mother’s maiden name.”

“Holy crap, why didn’t you take that name before?” Cisco demanded. “Man, that’s a dope ass name for Captain Cold.”

Len nodded with a small smile. “My mother’s name was Maya Wynters.”

Cisco nodded. “Alright, let’s see what all we need to cover,” he said, pulling up a document to take notes on the computer. “What’s your date of birth?”

“June second, nineteen seventy-two,” he replied, taking one of the Twizzlers for himself.

Cisco snickered. “Captain Old,” he said under his breath as he typed. “What about believable high schools? Where would you have gone in your home district?”

“Central City High, probably.” Len chewed on the end of the Twizzler, thinking. “Not sure. Just go with something.”

“And put ‘being sexy’ as what he majored in in college,” Barry said, and Len winked at him around his Twizzler.

“Electrical engineering,” Lisa said, and they all looked at her in surprise. She raised an eyebrow. “What? Lenny is great at electrical stuff. He did all the work on his gun just by opening it up and looking at it. And Lewis taught him how to do all the alarm system deprogramming when he was little, that’s how we’re so good now.”

Len snickered, looking at Lisa. “I can become a lineman,” he said with a grin. “Climbing up power poles and messing with the wires with permission this time.”

Barry glanced at Cisco, who shrugged. “What’s so funny about that?” he asked, and Lisa gave an amused laugh.

“All of our safe houses have electricity because Lenny taps into the neighbors power lines,” she said, tilting her head. “And their cable, and their internet.”

Cisco looked impressed. “Damn, you know how to do that?” He tossed his hair. “I figured she was mostly joking about electrical engineering, but telecommunications is a pretty quickly growing field,” he said, making a note of it. “The technology growth means every few years they have to overhaul the old system and bring in a new one. High paying jobs, skilled work, if we can fake out a believable degree and transcript from somewhere, that could totally be your ticket,” he said, and Barry smirked up at Len.

“A scientist and an engineer. I like the sound of that,” he said, and Len hummed, nodding his head back and forth.

“Our kid is gonna be such a nerd,” he said very seriously, and Barry bit his lip, nodding.

“Total nerd.”

Len smiled slowly, leaning down to kiss Barry, who smiled against his lips. “Our son is going to be a gangly nerd, and I cannot wait,” Len muttered against his lips before kissing him once more.

Barry hummed, smirking when he sat up again. “Hey, Cisco.”

“Yeah, Barry?”

Barry bit his lip, eyes still on Len. “You and Lisa get on building Len a background. We need to go check on something downstairs,” he said, and Len’s lips twisted in an understanding smirk.

“Yeah, there’s that thing,” he said, sliding off the table, offering Barry a hand to pull him to his feet. 

Barry grinned and tugged Len into motion, ignoring the knowing groans from Cisco and Lisa both behind them as he pulled Len out of the lab and down to the bunk room to have his way with his sexy, sexy boyfriend. 

“This is how they ended up in this situation,” he heard Cisco say. “Your brother must be really hot in bed for the amount of sex those two have.”

Barry and Len both snickered to themselves, as they rounded the corner and slammed the door behind them as they immediately started tugging at each other’s clothes, too eager to wait. 

~

Barry had always been an emotional person who didn’t hide what he felt, and Len loved it about him. He’d struggled his entire adult life to show any emotions besides a calm, cool mask because of his childhood of being beaten worse when he showed his pain or dared to cry. It was wonderful to be with someone who could actually feel so much without shame. It had been helping him come to terms with his second shot at life ever since they got together. And since he had been pregnant, Barry was even more emotional than ever, which Len never made fun of, since he had been more and more emotional himself since he learned he would be a father and he didn’t even have hormones rolling around in his body to make him emotional.

Finding Barry sitting on the floor in the lab full on sobbing, however, was far from the norm.

“Barry?” he asked, hurrying across the room to his side. Nobody else was there yet, they had been set to meet the doctors later in the morning and Joe had to be at work early so he dropped Barry early, so Len immediately worried something was wrong. “Barry, are you okay? Are you hurt?” he asked, crouching down to look at his face.

Barry lifted his chin and Len saw how wet his cheeks were with tears. “I’m not hurt, I’m fine,” he choked out, sniffling pitifully. “I- I just-“ He took a few deep breaths and wiped at his face. He was holding something against his chest and he held it out, looking at it around the curve of his large belly. Len looked and realized he was holding a children’s book. He waited for Barry to continue and Barry closed his eyes and shook his head. “Joe- Joe found a box of my old things from when I first came to live with him in the garage, and it’s mostly toys and stuff that I brought with me when I moved in with him, and- and I found this. I didn’t know I took it with me when I moved,” he said, holding the book up. “My mother read this book to me every single day,” he whimpered, bottom lip quivering, and immediately Len realized why he was so upset.

“Oh, Red,” he sighed, shifting to settle on the floor beside Barry. He put his back against the desk Barry was leaning against and leaned into his side.

Barry let out a broken sob. “I miss my parents so much.” Len rested his lips against Barry’s shoulder, putting a hand between his lower back and the table to touch him. “I always miss them, but now that I’m having a baby it’s so much worse. I just- I wish they could’ve met their grandson, and I wish they were able to teach me about caring for a baby, and I wish my mom could go ‘oh, yeah, I remember that’ when I’m complaining about something hurting because I’m fucking pregnant, and I just wish our son could’ve heard my mom read this story to him.” He leaned his head forward. “I’ve been missing my mother since I was a little boy, and it never hurts less, but I would give almost anything to hear her voice reading this story to my son.” He put a hand to his forehead, leaning into it. “And so much of my life, I only saw my dad every few months, so sometimes I still forget for a minute, you know?” he whispered. “I keep expecting to hear him say, ‘hey, Slugger’ again and it kills me when I remember he’s gone, too.”

He leaned his head back against the table and Len watched as the angle sent tears towards his ear rather than down by his nose. “I’m barely twenty-seven years old, I’m having a child of my own, and all I can dream of is my mom reading a book and my dad saying his nickname for me.” He snorted bitterly. “How pathetic is that?”

Len took a slow breath and kissed Barry’s shoulder before shifting to rest his chin on it instead. “Do you know why I never talk about my mother?” he asked softly, and Barry turned to look at him, their noses almost bumping. Barry’s eyebrows furrowed and Len smiled sadly. “It’s been nearly forty years since my mother died. I barely remember her voice. I can’t remember what she really looked like. I’m not sure how old she was, I don’t know what her middle name was, and I still somehow doubt my father’s word on the fact her family’s house just so happened to burn down while she and her siblings were visiting their aging parents because of faulty wiring.” He saw Barry’s eyes widen and Len’s throat tightened some. 

“But I can remember the lullaby she would sing to me,” he breathed, voice crackling a little bit. He laughed weakly. “Because instead of a real lullaby, she sang “Hey Jude”,” he said and Barry smiled faintly. “I can still hear her voice singing while she tucked me in, and can still remember that when she kissed me on the forehead her hair tickled because she kept her hair natural and teased it into a big, puffy afro.” Len felt his eyes burning and he blinked a few times. “I can’t remember what her face looked like fully, but I remember it in parts,” he said, voice strained. “I remember she had big, pretty eyes. And she wore pink and orange eyeshadow and lipstick. And she loved me,” he whispered weakly. He reached a hand up and cupped Barry’s wet cheek in his hand. “The only people to love me besides her are you and Lisa, but she’s the first person who ever loved me.” He shook his head. “I’ve been good my whole life at not thinking about my mother, Barry, but more than once since we learned about our son, I’ve caught myself thinking, ‘I wish my mother could have sang him “Hey Jude” someday’.” He laughed a bit wetly as he leaned his forehead against Barry’s. “You aren’t pathetic, Kid.”

Barry nodded, his forehead rubbing against Len’s. “I’ll sing ‘Hey Jude’ to our son every night,” he whispered, and Len smiled, closing his eyes.

“I’ll read your book to him,” he offered, and Barry slid both arms around Len’s neck, hugging him as close as he could with their respective positions and Barry’s belly in the way. “What’s it about anyways?” he asked, and Barry giggled against his neck.

“A little dinosaur who doesn’t feel good enough until his mom reminds him that he’s special just the way he is.” Barry pulled back and smiled at Len. “I was a dino kid.”

Len scrunched his nose. “I was a space kid. I was born three years after the first man on the moon and my mother took me to see Star Wars when I was five, not long before she died.”

“God you’re old,” Barry laughed and Len rolled his eyes at him. “No, seriously, you saw _Star Wars_ at the movies, Len. That movie was old by the time I was born.” He leaned in and kissed Len sweetly, and Len smiled against his lips. 

“Still handsome, though, right?” Len asked, and Barry beamed, nodding as he sat up straight again.

Barry tugged Len’s hands into his own, guiding them to his belly. “He’s a pretty solid reminder of just how handsome I think you are,” he said, and Len snickered, splaying both hands over Barry’s _huge_ stomach. “I would say it looks like I swallowed a basketball, but basketballs are smaller than this.”

Len leaned down and pressed a kiss to the top of Barry’s belly. “Our boy’s already taking after his parents, he can’t curl up any smaller.”

Dr. Carlton and Dr. Shelley had told them already that the baby was a long baby, which didn’t necessarily prove that he would be tall, but seemed pretty likely since both parents were over six feet tall. They were going to check today and see if maybe it was almost time for him to join them on the outside, since he was growing bigger and bigger at a pretty quick rate.

As he sat up straight again, hands still spread over Barry’s bump, he sighed. “I can’t wait to meet you,” he whispered, and Barry rested his hand on top of Len’s, squeezing slightly. When Len looked up, Barry just smiled.

“Me neither.”

~

Dr. Carlton and Dr. Shelley were pretty certain that the baby was very well developed. They also decided that they had no idea what happened to make him get pregnant in the first place. Barry was less than enthused by that news

“Seriously?” he asked. “So you have no idea how this happened?”

“Sorry,” Dr. Carlton said. “Your DNA is the same as it was before. And Dr. Shelley says that your body doesn’t have natural organs for pregnancy. The best we can guess is that it’s the speed force that makes this possible. The speed force did something beyond our world and beyond our medical knowledge.”

Barry nodded slowly. “Sooooo, what you’re saying is that, in the future, we should definitely be super diligent about the condoms, then.”

“That would be best, yes,” Dr. Shelley said with a small frown. “Especially since we haven’t told you the bad news.” She looked at Barry seriously and he tensed. “Dr. Snow and Dr. Carlton worked together very hard to try and find any way to make your body susceptible to anesthesia or pain killers or nerve blockers or anything of that sort.” She shook her head. “But none of it works. Your body isn’t made to deliver a baby naturally, which, in spite of what pain that normally involves, is far less painful than being operated on surgically.” 

Barry paled. “The C-section,” he said, and his breath caught. “Shit.”

Len slid his hand into Barry’s and when Barry looked at him, Len looked positively green. “You have to do a C-section without anything for the pain? There’s nothing that can be done?”

Barry swallowed hard. “Len, I can’t even be put to sleep,” he said, looking up at him. “We’ve tried before. The only thing that’s done anything at all for me is the alcohol Caitlin made for me, but that lasts a few minutes as of her last batch before I got pregnant, and drinking before I give birth sounds like a terrible idea anyways.”

“And unlike giving birth naturally, there is far less adrenaline in your system,” Dr. Shelley added. “The only thing we can hope for is that the fear and excitement of suddenly becoming a parent for the first time will increase your adrenaline production to dull the pain at least some. But otherwise, this is going to hurt. An incredible amount,” she said sympathetically. “I’m so sorry,” she added. “I’ve never done a cesarean on anyone without complete local anesthetics so they cannot feel anything at all. We will have to strap you down so you don’t move in response to the pain.” She smiled encouragingly. “We should do the cesarean morning after tomorrow. I suggest that whatever you need to do to maximize your comfort, you consider it. If there is any music you would like to play to distract you, if there is anything you would like to do for distraction, such as math calculations or trivia questions, that would help. Whoever you need with you, make sure they are ready to handle watching you in pain and being around during such a difficult procedure.”

Barry thought of Len and all the times his father tortured him by hurting his sister and not letting him protect her, and he looked at him with wide eyes. “Len, if you can’t handle it, it’s entirely okay if you don’t want to be in the room. I really understand-“

“Nonsense,” Len said quickly. “I want to hold your hand and comfort you and do whatever I can to keep you distracted. Unless you don’t want me to see you like that, Barry Allen, I’m going to be with you,” he promised and Barry’s insides warmed some as he saw the conviction in Len’s eyes.

“Okay,” he said simply, tilting his head up to kiss Len. “Then I want you there, but only you.” He shook his head, thinking about Iris or Joe witnessing that. He didn’t ever want either of them to have to see him suffering again after how they reacted when he was in a coma. “There’s a good chance I’ll pass out from the pain, and I don’t want anybody else there,” he said, and Len nodded understandingly. “I’ve passed out from pain before, and I don’t want anybody to be scared. You keep a cool head,” he said with a wink and Len snorted.

Len nodded, closing his eyes. “Alright. We can do that.”

~

Thinking about what was going to happen to Barry when the baby was born was driving Len to distraction. All he could imagine was watching him in pain like that and it killed him. He knew childbirth generally did involve a great deal of pain, but like the good doctor had said, complication-free natural childbirth was incredibly painful, but far less painful than being cut open surgically like Barry would be. 

Len knew how bad being cut hurt in general. He had been stabbed more times than he wished to remember, and that still hurt less than being sliced slowly. He’d been cut slowly before and it was the worst pain imaginable. A gunshot hurt less than that. He knew quite intimately how painful it was going to be for Barry, only far worse because Barry would have a larger cut and actual surgical removal of a _full-term baby_ from inside of him through the hole that had been cut in his abdomen. 

Len knew it was going to be absolutely horrible and at the same time one of the best moments of their lives. Even Barry had expressed to him that, though he feared how badly it was going to hurt, he was happy it was finally time that they get to meet their baby. 

Barry said that, and it made Len realize something suddenly. He turned his head, looking down at Barry, who lay curled into his side with his belly pressed firmly against Len’s hip and waist while his cheek rested on Len’s shoulder. “Barry, what are we going to name him?”

Barry startled, looking up at him in surprise. “Oh my God!” Barry struggled to drag himself upright into a sitting position on the bed, looking down at Len. “Len! We never picked a _name for our baby_!” he said, looking panicked. “Shit, he’s going to be here _tomorrow_ and we’ve never even talked about it!” He looked down at his belly, rubbing it gently. “I am so sorry. We’re terrible daddies,” he said with a groan.

Len sat up, moving to sit in front of Barry, resting his hands on Barry’s belly as well. “Good thing we’ve got a whole day to talk about it, then.” He rubbed Barry’s belly, looking down at it “What do you say, Son? What are you? You’re definitely not a Leonard Junior.”

Barry snickered. “Not a Bartholomew Junior either,” he said with a grin. “God, I don’t even know,” he said, shaking his head. “Should we go with something cool and hip? Or something classic? Maybe we should name him after somebody?” he suggested. 

“What about Joseph? After your dad?” Len suggested, and he knew immediately that it was a good name. “I actually like that,” he said slowly. “I mean, we don’t have to call him Joseph or Joe, but a middle name, maybe?” he asked Barry. “Joseph Allen sounds really good.”

Barry looked up at him in surprise. “Allen? We’re not naming him Snart?”

Not in a million years did Len expect to hear Barry suggest that. He had never once thought about naming their child ‘Snart’. He had no desire to name their baby the same name that his father had cursed him with. “No,” he said firmly but simply. Barry didn’t ask him anything else, though, so he knew Barry understood. “Besides, if I’m assuming my new fake identity, it would seem weird to others for our kid to not share either of our last name.”

“Alright,” Barry said, smiling. “Allen it is.” He rubbed at his belly. “Something Joseph Allen,” he said, biting his bottom lip as he looked up at Len. “You’re right, that really does sound good.” He grinned. “Joe’s going to be ecstatic. He’s already got himself a mug that says, ‘World’s Best Pawpaw’,” he said, and Len chuckled.

“It’s still incredible that Joe West wants his grandchildren to call him ‘pawpaw’,” he said and Barry snickered.

“I like it. It’s cute,” he said, then sighed, looking back down at his belly. “What are we going to call you?”

Len thought for a while, tried to imagine what he would say one day when he picked his kid up at school. _Hi, I’m Leonard Wynters, I’m the dad of-_ something. Some name. What was his son’s name going to be, he wondered to himself. He looked up at Barry. “What is he going to call us?” he asked, and Barry looked wide eyed before groaning and slapping a hand over his eyes.

“Oh God, we’ve never decided who gets to be ‘Dad’ or if we’ll both be ‘Dad’, or ‘Daddy’ or ‘Papa’ or ‘Father’… God, this is so hard, why did we wait so long?” Barry asked with a pout.

Len smiled comfortingly. “Well, Joe is going to be ‘pawpaw’ so ‘papa’ is probably too close,” he said, and Barry nodded. “I feel like I’m a little too cold to be ‘Daddy’. Maybe you should have that honor,” he suggested. “You’re going to be the one that gives extra bed-time kisses and I’m going to have to be the disciplined parent,” he teased.

Barry grinned. “So I’m ‘Daddy’ and you’re ‘Dad’. Nice,” he said with a smile. “You hear that, Son? I’m Daddy and he’s Dad. We’ll teach you when you’re ready to learn to speak.” Len felt a familiar surge of affection as he watched Barry speaking to his belly. “Although, don’t listen to him with that ‘disciplined parent’ nonsense,” he said as if it was a secret. “Your dad is a giant softie. You’re gonna have him wrapped around your little finger.” He looked up at Len and winked.

“Probably,” he said simply, lip curling as he looked down at Barry’s middle. “You’re cramping my style, Kid,” he said, but with open affection.

“Michael.” 

Len looked up at Barry and raised an eyebrow. “Nooo,” he said slowly. “I’m Len, remember?”

Barry rolled his eyes with a full on giggle. “No, you dork.” He nodded down. “The baby. Michael Joseph Allen,” he said, and Len’s heart skipped a beat.

“Michael Joseph Allen,” he repeated, voice full of reverence. “Yeah, okay.” He smiled around the lump in his throat. “Michael. My little Michael,” he whispered.

“I love it,” Barry said quickly, and Len nodded.

“I love it, too.” He held Barry’s gaze for a moment longer before leaning in to kiss him. Barry pulled him closer, reaching up to curl his hand around the back of Len’s head. Len slid his arms around Barry, stroking his side tenderly. Barry hummed, pulling back momentarily.

“Let’s have sex,” he mumbled, ducking back in for another kiss.

Len chuckled. “Seriously? We name our child and celebrate with sex?” he teased, though he didn’t hesitate to move one of his hands down to Barry’s thigh. 

Barry grinned against his lips. “Could be the last time for a while. Taking care of a newborn will be very time consuming.”

“You don’t have to talk me into it, Scarlet,” Len said, moving his mouth to Barry’s neck, listening to the breathy sigh Barry gave when his lips skated across his throat. “I’m so easy for you,” he said with a chuckle and Barry smirked.

“Just how I like it.”

~

Len thought he was prepared for how horrible it was going to be for Barry, but he could’ve never prepared for how badly it hurt to have to sit there watching Barry suffer. Len sat on a stool beside Barry’s face, holding his hand where it was laid out to the side, strapped down, and stroking Barry’s hair off his forehead. He was strapped to the table like it was a fucking cross and he kept straining against the straps holding his arms and legs down as he squirmed in pain. 

Worse yet, was how he cried and whined in pain. He was trying so hard to not cry out, and Len knew how much more it hurt when you tried to not show your pain. “It’s okay, it’s okay,” Len repeated over and over again, stroking his sweating hair away from his eyes. “Barry, it’s okay. If you need to scream, just scream,” he urged, and Barry looked at him with wild eyes and a face so twisted in pain it made Len want to scream for him. 

“I can’t, I can’t scare everybody, I can’t- Ow!” he sobbed, interrupting himself. “I thought she said it won’t take long, Len?”

Len gripped his hand tighter, because it hadn’t been long yet. Dr. Shelley had told them that the actual surgery wouldn’t take but about fifteen minutes, from beginning to cut him open to finishing sewing him up, because with his healing, they couldn’t take time and be slow. They had to go fast as they possibly could. Len knew how pain skewed perception of time, and Barry had tried to be strong, but with the first cuts in such a sensitive area, Barry had gasped in pain. 

“Not long now, Barry,” Caitlin reassured him from where she stood beyond the curtain they had set up to block Barry from looking at himself being cut open, ready to assist the doctor any moment. Dr. Carlton was acting as Dr. Shelley’s nurse, the two of them working swiftly to get it over with. 

“You can do this, Red,” Len comforted. He watched tears of pain streaking down Barry’s face and he shook his head. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry there’s nothing to dull the pain. I promise you, I would take it all for you,” he breathed, kissing his hairline. “I would take the pain for you in a heartbeat if I could.” He wasn’t lying, either. He knew how high his pain tolerance was. Sure, it would be brutal, but he had frozen his own hand off before. He had had been stabbed, shot, burned, beaten, and cut with a dull razor before. He could take it better than Barry could and even if he couldn’t, he would gladly take the pain anyways just so he didn’t have to watch Barry suffer. Watching Barry in pain was gut-wrenching.

Suddenly, between Barry’s noises of pain, there was another sound: the cries of a baby. 

Len had no idea how he would react to hearing his baby’s first cries five minutes ago, but now he couldn’t stop a giant smile crossing his face and tears burning his eyes. Barry, too, had stopped wiggling in pain and was staring up at the ceiling with wide eyes. “Michael,” he breathed, and Len let out a soft laugh, making Barry turn to him, eyes full of startled shock. “Michael,” he said again, and Len nodded, leaning in to peck his lips.

“Michael,” he said, and he could see that, for the moment, all of the pain ceased to register, because Barry let out a blinding smile and laughed wetly. Len kissed him again and then looked over the screen as he watched Dr. Shelley stand up and walk away with the wriggling, crying lump in her hands while Caitlin ducked in to help Dr. Carlton close Barry back up correctly, before his body could heal on its own badly.

Barry craned his neck, trying to look over at their baby. “Len, I want to see him. I want to see my son.”

“Hold on,” Len comforted, resting his hand on Barry’s shoulder, but Barry made a whimpered sound.

“My baby,” he said more plaintively. “Len-“

“Just hold on, Scarlet,” Len urge, stroking his cheek to make him look over at him. “Dr. Shelley is just making sure he’s okay. Nothing is wrong. See-“ He sat up and raised his voice. “Everything okay?” he called over to them.

Dr. Shelley nodded where Len could see but Barry couldn’t, and then spoke. “Absolutely. He’s a healthy little thing,” she called back reassuringly, and Barry finally relaxed, though he still looked unhappy.

“I want my baby,” Barry said, though he seemed less afraid now. He was still visibly in pain, but Len could tell that he was distracted listening to every cry and whimper from their baby across the room.

At long last, Dr. Carlton and Caitlin finished up and began to clean the blood from Barry’s body. “You’ll continue to hurt until it heals, I’m sorry,” Caitlin said, but Len could see Barry was already feeling less pain. He would imagine so. There was a difference in being in pain from an existing would and actually having the skin cut open. “But you heal fast, I’m betting in half an hour, you’ll be ready to get up,” she said cheerfully. 

“When can I hold my baby?” Barry asked, and Len smiled at his clearly one-tracked mind. He didn’t blame him, he wanted to hold their baby, too. 

Dr. Carlton stood and looked over the curtain. “We best wait a little longer before we unstrap you, so you don’t move just yet, but once Dr. Shelley brings your baby over, Mr. Snart can hold him and lay him on your chest, even if you can’t have your arms back to actually hold him just yet.

Barry nodded, looking at Len with a bright smile. “No baby-hogging,” he said, and Len laughed wetly, leaning in to kiss Barry’s forehead sweetly. 

“I love you so much, Barry.” He brushed a droplet of sweat away from his eyebrow. “I’m so happy I had a baby with you.”

“Speaking of your baby,” Caitlin said, and Len looked up just as Caitlin walked over with their baby in her hands. She held him up and Barry took a ragged gasp, fingers tightening on the ones Len was still holding. She offered him to Len, who took him carefully and pulled him close, looking down at his tiny little face. “Congratulations!” she said excitedly, and Len just stared down at his baby in utter silence.

He was beautiful. He was tiny and perfect and Len knew within a split second that he never knew what love was, not really, until he looked at his son’s face. Len would go to any lengths, he would do any manner of things, whatever it took, as long as he could keep his baby happy and safe and comfortable every single day. 

Len felt tears streak his cheeks as he held Michael close and touched his tiny little face oh-so-gently. “Hi, Michael. I’m your dad.” He laughed and looked up at Barry for a moment, positively beaming. “Barry, he’s so beautiful,” he choked out, and Barry smiled back at him blindingly. “Michael, this is Daddy,” he said, carefully shifting Michael to show him to Barry. He was reluctant to hand him away to anyone, but Len knew Barry was dying to touch his baby, so he carefully moved him to lay on Barry’s chest. Caitlin moved like she was going to help, and Len just chuckled. “Don’t worry, Dr. Snow. I’ve probably got more experience with a baby than you do,” he reminded her, though Lisa had never seemed so tiny to his child-sized self. 

Barry looked in agony over not having his arms free to hold his baby, but he looked down at where Michael lay on his bare chest and beamed. “Michael, it’s Daddy. You know my voice, probably,” he said, absolutely sobbing when Michael opened and closed his mouth and wiggled his little hands against Barry’s skin. “Oh God, he’s so beautiful,” he said, though Len wasn’t sure whether he was laughing or crying. He lifted his head so he could press his lips to Michael’s head, smiling so widely when he moved back that Len was pretty sure his lips would crack. 

Len rubbed Michael’s back gently as he lay on Barry’s chest and he listened to Barry talking to their baby without a care in the world for anything else the whole time.

~

Barry stood with his hands on his hips as he glared at Len playfully. “Len. You have to share,” he said, and Len raised an eyebrow as he sat, with his legs kicked up on the couch and Michael resting against his chest. 

“Says who?”

Lisa sucked her teeth. “Says his aunt-“

“Aunt _s_ ,” Iris said, standing beside her with her arms crossed. “Hand over the baby, Snart.”

Len smirked, looking down at Michael, who was looking up at him with big, blue eyes. “What do you say, Michael? Do you want to go to Aunt Iris or Aunt Lisa? Or do you want to stay with Dad?” he asked, gently fluffing his little tuft of curls as he shifted him and made his voice high. “‘I wanna stay with my Dad you Trainwreck!’” He gasped dramatically. “Michael, that’s not nice,” he said, poking him on the nose. “No it’s not,” he cooed.

Barry sighed. “Len, you can’t hog our baby. It isn’t fair.”

“I’m a reformed thief, Red, fair isn’t in my vocabulary,” he said, rocking Michael some. “Besides, I’m his favorite.”

Barry walked over finally and plucked Michael right off of Len’s chest, earning a wide-eyed pout. “Oh you don’t get to use puppy eyes on me,” he chastised, kissing Michael as he handed him over to Lisa. Barry came back and plopped on Len’s lap, making him grunt at the weight. “I carried him inside of me for nine months, I get veto power.”

“Even though I’m his favorite?” Len challenged, raising an eyebrow, and Barry narrowed his eyes.

“Who says you’re his favorite?” he demanded and Len smirked.

“I’m your favorite, too, don’t act like you blame him for his choices,” he teased, wrapping his arms around Barry’s middle.

Barry rolled his eyes with a fond chuckle and leaned into Len’s chest. “Yeah, yeah. We still have to share him. He’s got more family than just us,” Barry said and Len grinned and looked over at the whole lot of them. 

Michael’s family might not be excessively big, but they all loved him. He had two dads that loved him more than anything, a grandfather who would spoil him rotten, two aunts and an uncle who all were excited to be involved in every aspect of his life, and a surrogate aunt and uncle in Caitlin and Cisco. Michael’s family loved him. He would never be alone and helpless, he would never be scared of his future. Both he and Barry had been nearly alone at some point in their childhood, but Michael would always have people to love him and be there for him. Len watched Lisa holding Michael while Wally and Iris hovered around him, and he tightened his arms around Barry and laid his cheek against his chest, hugging him close.

“He’s one loved baby, that’s for sure,” he muttered, closing his eyes when Barry hugged him back. 

“He sure is.”


End file.
